Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Nov 25, 2014 News
A post flood sanitation exercise forced officials of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council
(M&CC) to close the Bourda Market yesterday. The market had been closed over the weekend in the wake of the flood.
However, yesterday’s closure found displeasure among several stallholders. The vendors told reporters that they were virtually forced to close their stalls to facilitate the exercise without any proper notification. They said that they were only informed of the exercise yesterday.
“We ain’t vex that the market close but tell people before…Nuff people ain’t get to sell since Thursday because the place flood out…This is we daily bread and this morning when people turn up to sell we hear that the place got to close off for sanitation purposes. Is not that we ain’t want de place clean; is just the principle of notifying people in time because when we can’t get to sell we still got to pay our full rent,” one vendor said.
Some of the vendors noted said that the flood has had an adverse effect on not only their stalls but their goods as well. One vendor explained that on an ordinary day a parcel of bora would cost around $200 but since the flood the price was increased to at least $40 more.
“Our issue is not only that we ain’t get to sell but that the flood damage plenty people goods. Who will pay us for that?” another vendor asked.
Head of the M&CC Public Health and Market Committee, Councillor Ranwell Jordan, said that he was also notified of the decision yesterday by the Clerk of Markets, Simone Mickend. He said that he learnt that the team was spraying the area with chemicals and clearing the drains to restore the market, making it an acceptable environment for goods to be bought and sold.
“It is my understanding that a team of officers from the Public Health Committee decided to close the market immediately to sanitise it and clear the area of garbage to allow for the drainage to take place since the water has not completely subsided,” he added.
Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green criticised the officers who were responsible for closing the market without adequate notice.
She insisted that protocol must be observed in dealing with any issue, regardless of crisis.
Chase Greene noted that Town Clerk (Ag) Carol Sooba and a group of officers attached to City Hall led the clean up exercise, without the knowledge or approval of the necessary personnel.
“The council was not informed of this decision; I am now learning about it. It is my knowledge that should any such decision be taken it must be gazetted and widely publicized since such a move has an immense effect on vendors and consumers alike,” the Deputy Mayor stated.
Chase-Greene noted that such actions can result in the council facing legal action. This has happened in the past. That market is a public facility we can’t just close it off like that…There are persons who depend on that market for their livelihood.”
The sanitation exercise concluded within a few hours; Bourda Market vendors are expected to resume work today.
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