PHILIPSBURG:--- Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Wednesday said that government must clarify once and for all why vendors along the Walter Nisbeth Road (Pondfill) have to relocate their business by July 1, “because as it is right now, somebody in government is lying to the vendors.”
The MP said more confusion was created by the Minister of TEATT Ludmila DeWeever who stated in the Central Committee debate on the 2021 budget that only one person with property along the Pondfill had requested that vendors be moved from the property.
“This is in contradiction to what the public was told by the Minister of VROMI on April 28 and what the vendors were told in a meeting with VROMI and TEATT. In all instances, it as told that landowners (plural) wanted their land vacated. Based on this, the vendors were told that they had to relocate by July 1 and government would find a suitable location for them,” Emmanuel said.
“So the question is, now that the Minister of TEATT confirmed that just one landowner requested this, why were the vendors lied to? This is not a game, people’s livelihood is depending on what government does in this situation. If you want to move the vendors for other reasons we don’t know about, please come clean. But don’t lie to the people,” Emmanuel said.
The MP pointed out that the three options the government has laid out for the vendors are all not feasible. He explained that the Festival Village will increase costs for the vendors three-fold and the situation with Carnival and its booth-holders who have already paid is not a situation government can afford to be caught in. The mentioned location of the old government building makes no sense because it is scheduled to be demolished soon for a project and the property in the vicinity of TelEm is caught up in court proceedings with Windward Roads.
“So where exactly are you moving them by next week? Somebody in government must be straight with the vendors. They were sold all sorts of nice stories none of which could be confirmed by the Minister of TEATT. I believe the real reason for wanting the vendors moved is not yet known. But what’s done in the dark, always comes to light,” the MP concluded.
