By Marvin Cato |HGP Nightly News |
ZEELUGT, EAST BANK ESEQUIBO — The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development has officially broken ground for the construction of a modern $1.3 billion municipal market tarmac and facility at Zeelugt, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), marking a major infrastructural expansion to regularize regional commerce and clear roadside vending along the public road corridor.
The sod-turning ceremony brings a multi-year municipal development commitment into active execution, establishing a fully enclosed, sanitary, and weather-resilient trading hub designed to accommodate hundreds of micro-entrepreneurs, agricultural producers, and retail vendors.
Project Scope & Modern Commercial Architecture
The new $1.3 billion market is engineered to replace informal street vending with organized, hygienic municipal infrastructure tailored to high-density retail activity:
- Tarmac & Enclosed Stalls: The project features a heavy-duty paved tarmac, standardized enclosed retail stalls, dedicated cold-storage zones for meat and poultry vendors, and dry-goods retail booths.
- Sanitation & Waste Management: Modern washroom facilities, specialized solid-waste disposal skips, and dedicated drainage networks are integrated to maintain hygiene standards and prevent domestic effluent from impacting surrounding communities.
- Traffic Decongestion: The facility incorporates off-street parking, dedicated loading and unloading docks for produce wholesalers, and pedestrian access lanes designed to ease congestion along the East Bank Essequibo public highway.
Decentralizing Commerce in Region Three
The groundbreaking at Zeelugt forms part of a broader capital campaign across Region Three—which includes the companion $1.5 billion modern market project at Pouderoyen—aimed at decentralizing commercial infrastructure across the West Demerara and East Bank Essequibo corridors.
Government officials speaking at the event underscored that formalizing market spaces protects vendors from weather hazards, stabilizes stall fees under local Neighborhood Democratic Councils (NDCs), and ensures consumers can shop in secure, well-lit environments.
Local vendors and community representatives welcomed the sod-turning, urging contractors to adhere strictly to construction timelines and ensure transparent, equitable stall allocation upon commissioning.
