Following reports that seafood stalls in the vicinity of the Meadow Bank wharf were being dismantled, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha visited the facility and assured those affected that their stalls would be fixed.
Minister Mustapha while meeting with the vendors who ply their trade outside of the facility said following the recent visit to the wharf by His Excellency, Dr. President Irfaan Ali, a committee was set up to execute several short-term works following requests made by the persons who operate out of the facility.
He further explained that requests were made for a series of enhancement works to be carried out at and around the facility but clarified that it is not the government’s intention to displace anyone in the process and assured them that works to rebuild their stalls would commence before the end of the day.
“Some of the requests made while the President was here were to have an active security presence, toilet facilities, lights, and running water. Those will be done in the short term. The committee has already begun to work on this. The toilets and the lights will be installed shortly. The police will deal with the security issue by having an active presence here. Other works like upgrades to the building wharf and the desilting of the canal will be done in the long term. Given the issue at hand, I want to assure you that your stalls will be fixed,” Minister Mustapha explained.
Last Thursday, Minister Mustapha and other officers from the Fisheries Department accompanied President, Ali on a tour of the area after persons who operate out of the facility wrote to the Head of State requesting his urgent intervention to resolve some of the challenges faced. Acknowledging that there were a number of issues at the wharf, President Ali subsequently established a task force to execute several short-term interventions as well as to advance a long-term masterplan to ensure a conducive working environment for the hundreds of fisherfolk who ply their trade at the Meadow Bank Wharf which is located on the East Bank Demerara.
