New Mon Repos market tarmac to be completed soon – NDC chair

Vendors who have been plying their trade at the Lusignan Market, East Coast Demerara, and in range on the East Coast Demerara (ECD) public road, are expected to be relocated very soon as the new marketing tarmac, at Annandale, ECD is slated to be completed by next week.
This revelation was made by Chairman of the Mon Repos/La Reconnaissance Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Ayube Mohammed during a telephone interview with Guyana Times on Wednesday.
Mohammed explained that the completion of the tarmac was previously delayed due to challenges faced with the acquisition of the land for construction of same; nevertheless, he noted that the situation was resolved.
“It was slated to be completed a long time back, but we had some problems with the acquisition of the land because we had a problem with the residents who would’ve had a piece of land that we wanted to use for the building of the tarmac, and they actually took us to court…. the land was acquired by compulsory acquisition,” Mohammed stated.
Additionally, the Chairman further underscored that vendors will now have to move to this location, as a lottery for the allocation of a vending spot will be held shortly after the tarmac’s completion next week.
“The tarmac is being done, it is slated to be completed by next week and as soon as it is completed we will mark it out and then we will do the drawing of lottery to allocate spots. So those people who are presently vending on the road needs to adhere to be moved to this spot,” he pointed out.
Only recently, over 300 merchants at the Lusignan Market demonstrated their reluctance to be relocated to what they referred to as “a desolate area in Annandale” and “a hole” given that there are no proper vending facilities, which may lead to them experiencing significant losses.
Despite the denouncement of this decision by the vendors, the NDC chair had previously mentioned that the relocation was only temporary.
However, in 2018, it was noted by then Minister of State Joseph Harmon that the $30 million initiative is necessary since these vendors are affecting road works of the East Coast Demerara road widening project.
“The construction of this tarmac is necessary for the removal of the roadside market which is in fact affecting the completion of the East Coast Demerara widening of the Highway project,” Harmon noted.