Vendors demand authorities take steps to save historic Kitty Market – but the buck stops with the mayor, says Local Gov’t Minister

By Savitri Laikram, Wednesday, 13 November 2013, Source

LAST Saturday, several concerned Kitty Market stallholders demanded that urgent steps be taken by the Mayor and City Council and central government to save the historic Kitty Market.

Town Clerk Carol Sooba

 

When this publication visited the market, vendors were seen gathered at one stall loudly complaining about the harsh conditions in which they have to vend.

MORAL OBLIGATION
Moreover, the stallholders are also opposed to any form of privatisation of the market. They believe that both central government and the City Council have a moral obligation to rehabilitate the market.

The vendors in expressing their concerns noted that many of them depend on the market for their livelihoods and they are quite frustrated over the circumstances under which they are forced to ply their trades.

Minister of Local Government Ganga Persaud.

Meanwhile, the stallholders are of the firm view that the present state of the market is due to the wilful neglect by the City Council over the last 15 years.

The vendors claimed that they have formed a committee and have written several letters to President Donald Ramotar, to Minister of Local Government Ganga Persaud and City Mayor Hamilton Green and Town Clerk Carol Sooba, pleading for help.

They stated that they are “fed up” of hearing that action will be taken, and are demanding that a decision be made for immediate works as the state of the market is driving customers away.

At a press conference last Thursday, acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba promised that a firm decision will be made with regard to the market and the vendors will see relief soon.

And Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Ganga Persaud, is urging the City Council to cease their “charade” and “own up to their responsibilities” in the city.

Last month, at a press conference at the ministry in Kingston, Georgetown, the Local Government Minister said that he had recently received a letter from Mayor Green complaining about the state of the Kitty Market. The minister pointed out that under the Urban Development Programme (UDP), the ministry on behalf of the Government of Guyana (GoG) would have sought and received a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to focus on municipal governance and municipal infrastructure.

He noted that during a discussion regarding the concept paper of the various projects undertaken under the UDP, the Georgetown municipality had identified the Stabroek Market and in that process, the government was urged to expend resources to fix the roof and establish a second floor as well as deal with lighting issues, while the municipality would seek to fix the Kitty Market.

He pointed out that the government has executed the projects in the Stabroek Market, and even did additional works there, noting that “We met our commitment to the max. The city has met no commitment to the Kitty Market but they find it convenient to pass it over to the government.”

The minister noted that market revenue is collected for the improvement of the markets so he is questioning the type of management City Hall is providing to vendors and people who reside in Georgetown.

Minister Persaud said that they are collecting monies and nothing is being fixed, everything is “run down” and they seek to look at the government and demand to have things fixed. He noted also that they are going about “playing the political football game”, saying that the government is giving them a hard time just because City Hall is managed by persons who are not from the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government.

THE BUCK STOPS WITH THE MAYOR
“So this kind of charade must stop and people must own up to their responsibilities and if people’s memories are failing they must not try to ascribe that to others,” Persaud said.

He concluded that, “Mayor Hamilton Green needs to revisit the commitment given by the municipality of Georgetown when we were conceptualising the UDP, with regard to Kitty Market. The buck stops with the mayor and his council, they need to answer to the vendors and citizens why and how have they allowed the Kitty Market to meet the stage and what they have been doing with market revenue collected from the vendors.”