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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, February 24, 2018 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – The Team Unity Government of St. Kitts and Nevis urges more produce vendors who conduct business along the Bay Road to properly occupy the available stalls at the Basseterre Public Market, as this would help reduce the congestion of the sidewalks around the capital.

 

This call was made by Prime Minister, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, who, along with Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Eugene Hamilton, spent the early part of Saturday (February 24) morning visiting the public market where they received feedback from farmers and vendors who ply their trade there.

 

Speaking to the media after his visit, Prime Minister Harris said, “One issue that came up time after time is that those who are vending within would want to see more people coming in and occupying the stalls because there are a number of free stalls, and that could help in a significant way to reduce the congestion of the corridors and sidewalks surrounding the market.”

 

“The Government is inclined to give strong support to that view, that there is a public market and that those who are vending outside should properly be inside. We cannot have a public market that is there basically underutilized and have our streets in such a way that it becomes almost impossible for persons to pass, to have free access other than to go into the main road,” Dr. Harris said, while also appealing to persons shopping for fresh produce to give preference to those vendors operating from inside the public market.

 

Minister Hamilton fully endorsed the statements expressed by Prime Minister Harris, noting that the congestion of the city’s sidewalks by vendors has become an issue of concern for the Government as it poses safety risks for pedestrians who are sometimes forced to walk in the main road.

 

“The less people in the streets, the better it is,” Minister Hamilton stressed. “You have seen what we have done recently with the [traffic] lighting on the streets and it has totally freed up traffic in the centre of Basseterre, we would like the same to be true and good too for the pedestrians who are walking in the streets.”

 

Saturday’s visit to the Basseterre Public Market formed part of the extended week of activities commemorating the third anniversary of the Team Unity Government.

 

The activities continue Sunday, February 25, with a church service at the Calvary Baptist Tabernacle at Romney Ground, Sandy Point and the SMILE AGAIN Gospel Concert, featuring PAPA San out of Jamaica, later that evening.

 

The extended week of activities, which were observed under the theme “Opening Doors and Creating Opportunities through Service and Empowerment,” culminates on Monday, February 26, with the public loan signing ceremony for the construction of the second cruise pier in Basseterre.

 

That ceremony takes place at 4:00 pm at the Port Zante Arrivals Hall.