– MoC to rehabilitate other City markets

THE Ministry of Communities (MoC) has invited expressions of interest for Phase Two works on the Kitty Market and the rehabilitation and reconstruction of other markets around the City, including Bourda, La Penitence and East Ruimveldt.

Tender notices have been issued for bids on phase two of the project, while works are expected to begin shortly.

The works will be financed as part of the $300 million allocated in the 2019 national budget for the Georgetown Restoration Programme. According to reports, the second phase of the project should cost around $40M.

MoC Head of Projects Unit, Naeem Khan, said consultations have already been held with the Georgetown City Council to iron out the scope of works for phase two of the market. Khan noted that the MoC will be monitoring the works while the council will determine what will be done.

“The ministry is basically there to monitor and does not dictate on the project. The designs, specifications and configurations are all decided by the council,” Khan is quoted as saying in a MoC press release.

Given the mismanagement, lack of accountability and transparency of funds allocated to the Georgetown Restoration Programme over the years, the MoC took the move this year to ensure contracts for the project passes through the National Tender and Procurement Board.

After years of neglect, in 2016, the rehabilitation works on the Kitty Market commenced with financing from $200 million allocated in that year for the Georgetown Restoration Programme.

Some $60 million of that money was said to have been expended on the project, representing just a portion of the overall $240 million that the entire project is expected to cost.

The first phase of construction works on the Kitty Market saw the completion of 18 stalls with shutters, sanitary blocks and the administrative office, inclusive of a revenue collection section.

MoC Engineer, Murwin Allison, along with Clerk of Market, Malroy Gordon, recently inspected the works done on the Kitty Market during phase one.

In addition to the stalls, the building is already designed to include the Public Health Department, Clerk of Market Office, and a concert/conference hall which is expected to serve as a rental facility for community events.

The City Council intends to equip the market with solar energy to power the electricity needs of the vendors, with the central air-conditioning being powered by the Guyana Power and Light (GPL).

The contingency plan also includes an electricity-generating system that would power the market whenever there is an outage.
The move to upgrade the Kitty and other markets is in keeping with the ministry’s agenda to improve the capacity of the Town Council to manage its assets in an effort to improve its revenue streams.
The ministry has been working along with the Mayor and City Council to ensure the market is complete and is constructed both to preserve its architectural integrity as well as to add a modern touch.