PM urges vendors to care new market facilities

Prime Minister, Hon Bruce Golding, has announced that the United States Agency for International Aid and Development (USAID) has agreed to fund the renovation of vending facilities in downtown Kingston, to accommodate vendors recently taken off the streets.
Mr. Golding said arrangements are being made with the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) for work to begin, immediately.
“We’re going to do everything possible to see if we can get as much of that work as possible done before Christmas, so that those vendors who are no longer allowed to sell on the streets can have reasonably decent accommodation for them and the customers that they seek to serve,” he stated.
The Prime Minister was speaking during a tour of recently refurbished sections of the Coronation Market (Curry) in downtown Kingston, Thursday (November 11). Phase One of the work, which is being funded by Digicel, has been completed and Phase Two is now underway.
Mr. Golding thanked Digicel for its partnership on the project, and urged the vendors to ensure that the facilities are taken care of.
“We want a new face and a new life and a new kind of business in Coronation Market,” the Prime Minister told the vendors.
He urged the vendors to ensure that the facilities that are being provided are properly used and properly cared.
“We want to make sure that six month from now, two years from now, both the vendors and the shoppers will (still) be comfortable and will feel pleased at the condition of the facilities that are provided here,” he urged.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Digicel Group, Colm Delves, said phase two of the project should be completed by Christmas, and reported that the company has spent almost $200 million on the project so far. He said that, while it was a large sum, Digicel was happy to make a contribution towards the rejuvenation of downtown Kingston.
One vendor who received her stall today, Veronica Perkins, added her vote of thanks to Digicel’s, saying the market would make it more convenient for shoppers.
“The convenience alone will help shoppers come in from all over. Because, one of the biggest concern was the inconvenience, like people said they did not have any parking space, now we’re going to have a lot of parking space. The place is clean, everything is more organised so, I guess, we are going to have a whole lot of shoppers,” she told JIS News.