New stalls are being constructed at the Mon Repos Market, located on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), but the vendors are not satisfied with the current fixtures and instead, want bigger stalls and better placement in this renovated space.
On Monday, the vendors vented their frustration by ripping out and breaking the steel rods that were being placed for the stalls as they argued that it does not reflect the size and placement that was agreed upon with the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.
Nazim Ally, a fruit vendor, told the News Room that vendors received the building plan for the new market structure last week and they observed that the dimensions do not meet the initial size of his stall nor is it being placed at the spot he once occupied.
This is the situation for most vendors and they complained that they ministry is now diverting from a previous agreement.
Faleeza Khan, another vendor, said if the issue is not rectified, then “we will break it done until they get it right.”
Noting that the vendors needed to return to full operation before Christmas, the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Nigel Dharamlall met with the displaced vendors in November.
It was agreed by the minister and the vendors that they will work along with the construction team and the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) to properly return to the market. He had promised that vendors will be placed at stalls that are fitting to their previous locations at the market.
Contracting firm – Mohamed Rahim and Sons – undertook the $63 million project. The contract to rehabilitate the market was awarded in November 2021. However, works commenced in February 2022 after the ministry constructed a temporary facility for vendors to ply their trade. Works on the market were expected to be completed within seven months.
