By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
AGRICULTURE, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs Minister Clay Sweeting yesterday said Potter’s Cay Dock vendors affected by a fire last year were provided with letters to access supplies to rebuild their stalls.
Before the weekly Cabinet meeting, the minister told reporters that vendors were given the option of two plans from which to choose.
The letters give them the opportunity to receive building materials from FYP.
“We’ve met with the vendors a few times, actually last week, and provided them with their letters to access supplies, which would be in essence $96,000 among the six vendors,” the minister said. “We also provided them with two plans - one from a private architect, one from the Ministry of Works - which they can select between the two,” he explained.
“We’ve also included an optional deck option for them if they wanted to extend, which will be up to the vendors to get the approvals because when you deal with the seabed that goes through (the) Ministry of Environment.
“So, we’ve been very accommodating. They have their letters. We’re just waiting on the final building control approval so we’re hoping within a week they can get up and going and be running for the summer.”
He also said: “We’re providing them with the funding. I think the ministry has been very accommodating. I’ve met with them about four times since I’ve been minister and we’ve done what we can. They have the letter to access from FYP and hopefully they can get going in ten days or so.”
Minister Sweeting was also asked whether consideration was being given to building a fire station at the dock.
He said: “I think nationally, especially in the Family Islands, we have that issue. So I’m sure that the minister responsible for that is looking at a nationwide way to solve this problem.
“In the Family Islands some of these islands don’t even have fire trucks. So, I think it’s a nationwide issue. I think it’s definitely one that we need to look at and look at facilitation. So, hopefully we can have a better response to some of these fires.
A fire burned six stalls to the ground in April 2021 and left two others damaged. Two boats were also destroyed.
Back in April, Potter’s Cay Dock Fish, Fruit, and Vegetables Vendors Association President Ormanique Bowe told The Tribune that vendors were still waiting for the government to authorise the repair work to fire damaged stalls.
She added that she was told two more signatures are needed to finalise the repair work.
Comments
sheeprunner12 2 years, 7 months ago
These were private businesses ...... Why should Govt build their stalls back?
Why do some groups suck on the teat of Govt so much??
And Clay just looking for PR too
TalRussell 2 years, 7 months ago
@sheeprunner12, what's how Minister Clay constructs back Potter’s Cay Dock vendors stalls got do with Comrade Grocerman's Rupert Roberts 13 strong chain groceries stores price of Long Island's exported sheeps meats. ― Yes?
sheeprunner12 2 years, 7 months ago
LOL. Tal, stop posting retarded comments
Cobalt 2 years, 7 months ago
@shesprunner12 There is nothing wrong with the government financially assisting small businesses. The government actually has money allocated for things like this.
tribanon 2 years, 7 months ago
Many of us will remember this well for what it is Mr. Sweeting......nothing but an outright act of fraud perpetrated by a government minister against the honest and hardworking people who struggle daily to buy food for their family and pay their ever increasing taxes and fees of one kind or another. Where's our tax relief Mr. Sweeting.....are the rest of us paying VAT on breadbasket food items and more gasoline tax so that you can turn around and dole out cash gifts to those who have nevered bothered to pay any taxes or fees? Just how insensitive and cruel can you be Mr. Sweeting??!!!!!
Cobalt 2 years, 7 months ago
I don’t see anything fraudulent about what Mr. Sweeting said. His ministry is simply trying to do a little good for a few vendors who lost their stalls to a fire.
tribanon 2 years, 7 months ago
Rewarding known tax dodgers is never good policy by any stretch of one's imagination. And what about all the hungry and malnourished children in our nation today? You must see money growing on trees.
Cobalt 2 years, 7 months ago
I feel bad for any human being that goes hungry. But hungry children are not the responsibility of the Government. Parents are responsible for their children. Parents are responsible for making themselves marketable in an ever-changing, competitive world in order to provide for their families. Parents are responsible for attaining certain educational and vocational skills necessary to survive in a tough, unforgiving world. There are no handouts in life. Nobody owes us anything. One of the main problems is that many Bahamians have made poor choices in their lives regarding their future. And poor choices have led to poor outcomes. We can’t always expect the government to do things for us that we aren’t willing to do for ourselves. With the exception of orphans, and widows, the government is not responsible for feeding and babysitting our children. Their parents are. Any child that goes hungry I challenge you to take a look at their parents. Especially their fathers. And I guarantee you’ll see the nucleus of the problem. Children are going hungry because their parents are in the numbers house.
themessenger 2 years, 7 months ago
@tribanon: I have to agree with you on this; Minister Sweeting if my business or house burns down is your government going to pay to rebuild them? It’s the same Pandora’s box that was opened when “our” governments decided to rebuild private homes destroyed by hurricanes, only they were sort of selective about whose homes got rebuilt. Well, that genie done out da bottle, yinna could look forward to plenty claims coming yinna way in da future and ya political ass is grass if yinnas don’t come through!
Cobalt 2 years, 7 months ago
Actually, all houses and businesses should be insured by the owners. Technically speaking the government is not obligated to rebuild any privately owned establishment. However, the government does allocated a limited amount of money to subsidize and assist with small business repairs. They also help small home owners with small repairs thru Urban Renewal.
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