KSAC hopeful more revenue will stream in from Coronation Market

Friday, June 04, 2010

THE Kington and St Andrew Corporation is hoping that last week's recent joint police/military operation in Tivoli Gardens and neighbouring communities in West Kingston has loosened the hold of extortionists on the neighbouring coronation market, which would enable the municipality to earn more from market fees.

Addressing a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament at Gordon House this week, Town Clerk Errol Greene said the corporation's revenue collection from vendors in the market had suffered badly from the chunks given to extortionists.

"Given what is happening now we are hoping we will be released from the clutches of the extortionists. That has been a very big problem to us in terms of collecting monies in our markets, vendors would tell us they have to pay those fees (extortion monies) first before they paid our fees," Greene said.

However, he said a decision had been taken not to increase any of the fees and rates charged for use of the market at this time given the current situation.

He was also unable to say how much the KSAC collected for market fees. He said he was unable to verify a 2006 report, which said an estimated $1.5 million per week is collected in market fees. He said vendors paid from $500 upwards weekly --depending on the amount of space they occupied -- and $1,500 per year for registration.

Fire of unknown origin last Tuesday destroyed some 75 per cent of the market, which sits near the Tivoli Gardens community. The incident occurred only four days after members of the security forces stormed the community, which had been barricaded by persons intent on preventing the capture of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke who, is wanted by the United States government for alleged crimes.

Vendors who had stayed away from the area while brazen gunmen openly traded bullets with the law enforcers, took to selling in nearby Three Miles area creating a traffic and health hazard.

But the KSAC gave the vendors until yesterday to leave Three Miles and return to the Coronation market, which has since undergone some repairs.

However, up until last yesterday, vendors were seen selling in Three Miles.