~Vendors hidden from view in the present location and losing sales.~
PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament (MP) Omar E.C. Ottley is urging Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport, and Telecommunications (TEATT), Grisha Heyliger-Marten, to urgently relocate the vendors of the Philipsburg Marketplace to the Clem Labega Square ahead of the upcoming Tourism Season so they can capitalize on sales opportunities from our visitors, as the present temporary location is hidden from view of motorists and pedestrians.
MP Ottley asked several questions and expressed his concerns about the relocation of the vendors to the grounds of the former Government Administration Building and the delay in the start of construction for the Philipsburg Marketplace since the groundbreaking ceremony during Thursday's Parliament Meeting. Minister Heyliger-Marten was present in Parliament at the time, providing answers to questions previously asked by members of Parliament regarding the affairs of the Princess Juliana International Airport PJIA and the SXM Harbor.
Following Thursday's meeting, MP Ottley issued a press release expressing concern that the Minister's decision to move the vendors to an inaccessible area had drastically hurt their businesses.
The Majority of the Vendors have been moved to the grounds of the former Government Administration Building behind the Clem Labega parking lot, while a handful remain on the spot next to the Courthouse in Philipsburg. MP Ottley is concerned that the temporary location has effectively hidden the vendors from pedestrian and vehicular traffic, which is essential for their livelihood. The lack of signs or marketing to inform the public of the vendors' temporary relocation has further exacerbated the problem. As a result, vendors have reported a significant drop in sales since the move.
"Minister Heyliger-Marten must understand that it hampers the operation and the sales for these vendors if they are kept at the back where no one can see them. I am proposing that the former Government Administration Building grounds be used to facilitate much-needed vehicle parking and signage be erected to indicate such. At the same time, the vendors can be placed in one part of the parking lot closest to RBC Bank, where they will be easily visible to everyone.
Regarding the start of construction for the new Marketplace, Minister Heyliger-Marten pointed to mobilization challenges and said she was also awaiting signs. However, MP Ottley's challenge is that many vendors cannot get sales, and the Minister should have considered these logistical matters before relocating them. He said, "The loss of sales will increase when the tourism season starts if they are not relocated or, at the very least, proper signs need to be installed to get them the customer traffic they need to survive."
"The key to business is location, and this current placement is a disaster for these small business owners who rely on daily sales to survive," Ottley added.
Moreover, Ottley expressed deep frustration during Thursday's meeting in Parliament over the stalled construction, saying despite the groundbreaking ceremony two weeks ago, which the Minister hailed as a significant milestone, construction has yet to occur.
Ottley called the situation a missed opportunity on the road to revitalizing Philipsburg but said that the Minister still had a chance to make adjustments in the vendors' interest.
MP Ottley told Minister Heyliger-Marten that as a Member of Parliament, he would keep a close eye on the project and continue applying pressure on the Minister until real progress was made on the relocation of the vendors and the construction of the new marketplace.
