The Tribune

By NATARIO MCKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net COMPANIES impacted by the New Providence Road Improvement Project (NPRIP) definitely need a "cash injection", one such businessman yesterday estimating his firm had suffered a loss in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Fred Rahming, proprietor of Builders Mart on Prince Charles Drive, told Tribune Business the Government's survey of impacted businesses - a precursor to determining their losses, and working out a formula to compensate them, was welcome news after watching his life's investment suffer tremendously over the past year. "My business has been impacted from March of last year," he said. "From then to now, only God knows how we have made it. It's just been devastating. You have bills piling up and you have to keep selling the little things you have to pay your bills. "If the Prime Minister could bring some of this to a closure and to assess persons on what they truly lost, it would be good. I hope that it's a fair and honest assessment on what they truly lost. We are looking forward to see what people from the Ministry of Finance would present, the quicker the better." Mr Rahming said that since roadworks began on Prince Charles Drive, he has had to close half his store. "Since the roadworks began there was a point where we had full closure," he addedf. "Some days you don't make anything, and there are days when you make less than $100. We remained open because once you close your doors and people see you go out completely, they have nothing to come back for. At partial closure now we can see about five tenths of the business that we used to have. "I have my life invested in here. Everything I worked for in my life is invested in here. Everything my kids ever worked for is invested in here. It's not like we have another store or another business. I don't know what we would have lost, but we have the accountant busy putting that together. I know it would be in the hundreds of thousands." Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said earlier this week that, beginning yesterday, the Government will go door-to-door asking those affected by the ongoing road works to detail their losses ahead of a massive potential repayment scheme. Businesses on Baillou Hill Road, Market Street and Prince Charles Drive will be the first in the assessment. Through this initiative, the Government will compile information, including the businesses' expenses, revenue, profits, accounts receivables and payables during the period 2007 to 2011. Ministry of Finance employees will visit the businesses throughout New Providence on roads where major roadwork is being done and their connecting side streets, to hand out the surveys. Mr Ingraham said the surveying is expected to last two weeks. The business owners have one week to complete the surveys, and gather supporting documents, before the Ministry collects them. In the weeks to follow, Mr Ingraham said the information will be analysed and decisions made on the assistance to be given.