Vendors at the Charity Market in Region Two have voiced concerns regarding various features of new stalls, as they compared them to their previous 12 x14 stalls.
These concerns including access, sanitary blocks and proper electrical works, were raised by vendors during consultations held at Charity yesterday.
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Sonia Parag, and Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Anand Persaud, along with Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, yesterday met with vendors, who had to be accommodated temporarily due the market being destroyed by fire in July, 2023. Over 25 vendors were affected, most of them owners of several stalls. As a consequence, they had written a letter stating their concerns over the completion of the project.
Parag told the assembled vendors that the project was almost at an end and that stalls along with sanitary blocks will be completed by this month end. She also addressed their concerns, assuring that their interests are being taken into account and called for their cooperation. Parag gave vendors an update and announced that the market’s shed was completed according to the timeline.
In his remarks to the vendors, Persaud stated that the market is 70 per cent completed and highlighted that the new market is set to be a showpiece. He noted that the layout of the stalls will be shown to them and their inputs will be solicited.
Meanwhile, Indar assured that he will continue to work with vendors, telling them that government is building several markets countrywide geared at improving the livelihood of vendors.
Vendor representative, Colleen Prince told the officials that vendors are concerned about their spaces. She expressed the hope that they would be put in a comfortable area where they could continue to trade. Indar responded by assuring her that the stalls will be constructed larger than what some of them were occupying. Prince said the meeting was fruitful and thanked the ministers for coming out to meet with them.
“We just want it to finish so we can move in and we can vend, we want easy access, good ventilation and an area where consumers can enjoy,” a vendor, Rajendra Singh, stated.
