General Manager at DEXIA, Gregoire Thomas, has said that over half a million dollars are needed to bring the Roseau Market to a state where it can operate effectively.
The market got “quite a bit of damage” from Hurricane Maria and although vendors have returned there, many challenges lay ahead.
“We have a situation where we are only providing the basics in terms of the vending space,” Thomas said at a press conference on Friday morning. “Some of our tables got lost so we have to try and replenish and get tables so that people can vend.”
He stated that there is a situation where 50 major tenants at the market have lost all their equipment and are unable to function.
“The tenants are not able to use the space because they do not have appliances, they do not have the facilities for them to operate and we are in the process at DEXIA of gathering that information, collecting the information so that we can present a case to seek some support to see how we move forward to restore that part of the Roseau Market life,” he stated.
To compound the situation vendors have been complaining about the lack of electricity however, the market has to be rewired and recertified in order for it to be connected to the electricity grid, according to Thomas. Since Maria, power company DOMLEC made rewiring and recertification mandatory in order to receive electricity.
“So of the $500,000 plus that we require, that is part of the financing that we require to bring Roseau Market back to a state where we can operate and operate effectively at the Roseau Market,” Thomas stated.
I think everyone knows that have gotten alot of money so far. The government can’t say they don’t know where the money is coming from for the market. Venezuela wrote a hundred million US dollars they owed. Now that money is in their pocket. I see know reason why the government can’t build from scratch a new market place in Roseau if they say that they have plans to modernize and upgrade the city of Roseau. Now should be the perfect time to do so.
The market vendors has operated in sub-standard market conditions, (pardon the pun) for years. Working in the sizzling sun, the pouring rain with little or no shelter has been the order of the day for vendors. I love going to the market but it lacks facilities for everyone.
Maria has destroyed the market and I do think this is an opportunity that must not be missed. The government should take the opportunity to build back better as they keep saying. Spending half a million dollars on this market is a waste of money in my opinion. What should be done is a total redesign of a new market looking forward to a new capital
$500,000 plus look at that building and market and please explain what you see there that cost this amount of money. You say some of our tables were lost are you really serious look at the picture above and tell me how many tables you see, the picture above is no different from a picture of roseau taken 10 years ago, since when did crates cost so much money. You say so much damage was caused 50 major tenants lost all there equipment are you saying this lost is included in the $500,000 or does this loss make up part of the plus. Mr Gregoire Thomas this is a poor presentation which is impossible to believe, break down the figures for me as I am eager to know how much each table (crate) costs everything in Dominica appears to cost millions nowadays yet few can disagree that roseau is the worse capital city in the Caribbean, sorry but they say the truth hurts.
Listen, Skerrit got millions of dollars for Dominica’s restoration. No gov’t entity should be begging for anything. Skerrit should be making some steps towards progress already. Hospitals should be covered, all schools should be covered at least. Places like the market, maybe not 100% restored yet, should be operational. Make some moves Skerrit. Do something. The world is watching you and that money very closely. I’ll be damned if Dominica turns out like Haiti which also received millions for restoration after the earthquake. Show me the money now (at least some of it)! Not closer to election!!!
The thing is that he told us he received millions. But with Mr. talk is cheap as we all know and the bottom line is that he received very little cash so far and God only knows where that little bit has gone too. Nobody trusts him with cash. I wonder why?
He’s just talking as always and fooling Dominicans. Nothing tangible will happen. He is jetting all over the world at our expense and all he brings with him is hollow speeches, lies and a good dose of propaganda.
I am passionate lover of markets, whether they be in the Caribbean or elsewhere in the world.
Although I patronise the Roseau market and count many of the vendors as good friends, the site fails dismally to meet my expectations in terms of what a market should be in terms of convenience, character and visual appeal. This is all the more glaring considering Dominica’ s agricultural heritage.
For a viable future the Roseau market needs to go beyond just “operating effectively”.
@Roger Burnett…you are so right. Even before hurricane Maria, the market was not appealing. There should be washrooms installed in every corner of the market and well maintained. The meat department should be in a closed area where people can go buy meat instead of being out in the open where people and flies share the meat. Stalls should be well kept and the entire floor and/ground should be power-washed weekly. This is food people are dealing with . Sweep the grounds daily. Keep the place clean and beautiful. It’s a turn off going to a place that’s not kept in a way that is welcoming
Roger my friend, sadly I agree with you. The market is not attractive although its vendors are. They are a lively, chirpy and colourful bunch. Sadly the facilities are representative of most of Roseau,
,which is like a carbuncle on a pretty girl’s face. I know Maria and Erika have not helped but this jumbled dereliction and hot-potch development date from well before these events. First impressions do count and I wish we could give the long overdue transformation some priority.
Good to find you commenting again Titiwi.
Remember, in the darkest days of WW2 Winston Churchill read to Parliament Arthur Clough’s poem “Say not the struggle nought availeth”.
Joke that because just before the last election Skerrit wrote a check for that same amount to the bishop, so why hasn’t he presented one for that same amount to Dexia? Don’t tell me it was his way of buying Catholic votes.
Reminds me of the sale of indulgences by the clergy of the Catholic Church, that made their followers revolt in the Middle Ages and the cause of the Protestant church being establided by “protesters”.