Months after a fire had devastated the Charity Market and left millions in losses, plans are afoot to construct a modern facility at the same location to the tune of $286 million.
The market was ravaged by fire in July last, and the artistic impression of the new facility was on Friday revealed to vendors and residents of Charity by Local Government and Regional Development Minister Anand Persaud.
The contract to build this new facility has been awarded to Builders Hardware and General Supplies Construction, and the project is expected to be completed within two months. The project was awarded through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), and the construction phase will be supervised by the Administration of Region Two.
Minister Anand Persaud and Regional Chairman and PS of the ministry
In his address at Charity on Friday, Minister Persaud said fast-tracking of the project signals Government’s commitment to addressing the plight of the affected vendors.
“Last Saturday I was in the region, and I came to Charity and met with the vendors there. We decided that I return on Wednesday to meet with vendors on a way forward,” Persaud disclosed.
The Minister acknowledged the delay in action, but shed light on the intricacies of governmental processes, highlighting the absence of allocated funds in the 2023 budget for the reconstruction following the inferno.
Regarding the timeline for the market’s reconstruction, Minister Persaud assured that the contractor has secured most of the necessary materials to commence work, while adding, “It is very good that we envision the market in about two months or so.”
Further, Persaud promised to ensure that the work is expedited, even if it means extending the working hours, in order to ensure that vendors regain their market spaces at the earliest. The vendors will, however, be relocated on a temporary arrangement with the necessary security in place.
Meanwhile, Regional Chairperson Velma Da Silva thanked the Government for the prompt response to the vendors’ plight, and called on the contractors to provide quality work. (Raywattie Deonarine)
