Construction work on a new market in Port Maria, St Mary is scheduled to begin in the next two weeks.

The new structure, which will be able to accommodate 55 stalls, will be built by Dutch Construction Ltd, a company located in Buff Bay, Portland.

The contract for the project was signed Thursday at the Ministry of Local Government in Kingston where it was announced that vendors in the old structure will be relocated to the abattoir and an old fire house that are both abandoned. Roofing work will be done to accommodate the vendors while the new market is being constructed.

Mayor of Port Maria Richard Creary expressed his gratitude for the market and expressed hope that the construction will be completed in the 12-month period allotted.

“We expect that the job will be done to specifications and within the time specified for completion,” he said.

Creary also requested that the company include the residents of Port Maria in the construction of the market.

“We understand that contractors will bring a few persons with them who they have confidence in, but we would not appreciate if we see many workers coming in from outside. This is a Port Maria project and we want to see the people of Port Maria employed,” he said.

Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie said the project is part of the Government’s effort to improve markets islandwide.

“Today begins a series of events involving markets across the country. When I go into Clarks Town I will break ground to commence the renovation… which will see us spending another $17 million for the renovation of the Clarks Town market,” McKenzie said.

“This year, this Administration intends to set aside some $150 million to look at the problems of markets across the country. No significant work has been undertaken over the last five years on our public markets. Most of our markets are in a deplorable condition. These markets are not conducive for vending or for persons to ply their trade,” McKenzie argued.

He said that Trelawny will have a new market, hopefully by the end of April.

“That has been a project that has been financed by the Port Authority along with the Trelawny Municipal Corporation and we provided an additional $10 million,” McKenzie said.

“We’re also providing an additional $14 million to install awnings at the Black River market. That market was built a couple years ago and it was incomplete, so we have now provided the $14 million that is required by the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation.”

He stressed that these developments are necessary to “provide the comfort that the vendors and shoppers badly require whenever it rains”.

McKenzie was quick to point out, however, that the Government’s aim is also to get vendors off the streets.

“We can’t spend this kind of money on the structures and yet people are vending on the outside of the market and the markets are empty,” he said. “We are going have to ensure that once we spend this kind of funding, that persons go into the market. I’m going to be urging the mayors and appealing to the public to ensure that once we have completed the exercise, that persons will find it comfortable to visit the markets.”