FALMOUTH, Trelawny– State minister in the Ministry of Local Government, Robert Montague, has recommended that the Trelawny Parish Council (TPC) pay its commercial services manager, Errol Malcolm, on a commission basis in order to mitigate losses from operations at the Falmouth market.

“(…don’t pay them) unless they collect. The commercial services department was put in to raise money to increase revenues for the council. So you can’t have a commercial entity making a loss and becoming a drag on the parish council budget. It should be the other way around,” Montague told the Observer West.

Gerald Lee, secretary manager at the Trelawny Parish Council,said losses at the market–the biggest of it’s kind in the Caribbean–have been running in the region of $1.5 million since the start of the financial year.

According to Montague, who spoke to the Observer West following last week’s delivery of the keynote address at the Trelawny Parish Council’s award ceremony at the Falmouth Town Hall, a study by financial analysts regarding losses at the facility, home to Wednesdays’ “Bend Down” market –the largest flea market in the Caribbean– recommended among other initiatives, that the market be rezoned and all vendors registered.

He reminded that come April 1, 2010, parish councils will be required to foot 30 percent of their budget.

“…Too many parish councils with valuable real estate are not collecting rent. Falmouth market is the largest market in the Caribbean and it cannot be run at a loss, therefore it is hoped that councils will become more responsible when they have to finance a part of their budget,” he said.