‘NO HELP!’
Ray Ray Market vendors say KSAMC yet to provide assistance since fire
VENDORS AT the Ray Ray Ground Market in downtown Kingston have complained that they have not yet received any assistance from the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) more than four months after a massive fire ravaged the market on August 7.
“I don’t see KSAMC help anybody build any stall. Is the people dem put dem money together from dem family and resources weh dem can or from partner. People go take partner draw and build back dem stall. Ask anybody in here. Nobody no get money from KSAMC to rebuild them stall ... is the people dem get dem money independently,” said Marsha Lee, who told The Gleaner that she had been selling in the market since 2014.
Her colleague, Carol Hall, 58, who said that she has been working in the market for more than 10 years, shared similar sentiments.
“No help, no help. Me burn out bout five time now. Every time di place burn down, I burn down with it. I am a widow. I need some help from them. Nobody help us; nobody help we,” Hall said.
Despite not getting any assistance from the KSAMC, Venice Graham, who has been selling in the market for more than nine years, said that like many of her colleagues, she had no choice but to start over on her own.
“We no get nothing; nothing we no get. We haffi fight it for weself,” said Graham.
INVESTIGATIONS ONGOING
She said that after the fire, the KSAMC ceased the collection of stall fees, but the practice was reportedly resumed on Thursday.
When The Gleaner contacted Robert Hill, chief executive officer of the KSAMC, he said that he was unable to address the issue because investigations into the fire were ongoing.
“There are some issues that I don’t want to speak on the record about just yet. We are conducting some investigations and clarifying some issues that have come up since that fire to include a longterm plan for use of the space. So I understand their point of view and what they are purporting, but I don’t want to say anything on it just now,”Hill said.