Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Communications and Works commenced in earnest the works at the Market Square in 2021, and we are anticipating the completion of this project will be in the 1st Quarter of 2023.

Honourable Members and the public would be pleased to know that to date, we have installed over One thousand (1,000) linear feet of water lines to ensure that all the kiosks at the Market Square have potable water.

We have also installed electrical lines to power the kiosks and the other structures at the Market Square. The drainage system has also been constructed and is in place, and we have installed fifteen (15) solar lights for the lighting of the general area.

To date, Madam Speaker, twelve (12) of the sixteen (16) kiosks are near to being completed, and the remaining four kiosks are slated to be completed by December 2022.

The bandstand building has been completed and will serve as a central gathering point for any events to be conducted at the Market Square. The bathroom building is currently being constructed and should also be completed by December 2022, which would provide a total of eight stalls combined, for male and female, and would be fully handicap accessible.

Madam Speaker, the construction of the service road to access the Market Square is currently ongoing and should be completed by December 2022, along with the construction of pavements and walkways.

Finally, we will be undertaking the construction of the bus shed, and landscaping as the culmination of this project progresses toward commissioning.

Madam Speaker, you can certainly appreciate the amount of work that has been undertaken to date, and we look forward to completing all the outstanding items for early 2023.

The advent of the new Procurement Act requires that a competitive bid process be undertaken, even for petty contracts or works less than One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000). The Ministry of Communications and Works had been using restricted tenders to engage contractors for works at the Market Square project even prior to the Act coming into force.

Madam Speaker, as part of the requirements of the new procurement legislation, procuring entities such as my ministry are required to use the Contractor database, managed by the Ministry of Finance, to obtain registered contractors who are subsequently invited to bid on petty contract works.

To date, Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Communications and Works have invited over 30 different contractors, taken from the Contractor database, to submit bids for works at the Market Square for six different petty contract works.

Shortly, we will be soliciting bids from landscape contractors for the landscaping works at the Market Square. Also, bids will be solicited for the supply and installation of shutters for the sixteen (16) kiosks.

Madam Speaker, as I mention the kiosks, my ministry has received a lot of questions, as it relates to the kiosks, their use, and who will be able to obtain a kiosk for rent.

The Ministry of Communications and Works, along with the Junior Minister for Trade and Economic Development, Hon. Shereen Flax-Charles and other personnel from the Department of Trade, Investment Promotion, and Consumer Affairs have been conducting meetings to develop a comprehensive application and evaluation process whereby interested persons and vendors can apply for one of the 16 kiosks that will be available at the Market Square upon completion.

There will be six 10 x 10 kiosks and ten 12 x 12 kiosks upon completion. It is anticipated that by the end of the year, an announcement will be made to the general public for persons to apply for a kiosk and the process that will be followed in allocating them to qualifying applicants.

 Madam Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to give an update on the Market Square.