More than 170 vendors were displaced by the Sunday's fire at Musgrave Market in Portland.
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Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie
By Halshane Burke
The Ministry of Local Government is to provide financial support for the clean up exercise underway at Musgrave Market in Port Antonio, Portland.
The market was extensively damaged by a fire on Sunday displacing more than 170 vendors.
Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie said he has received a preliminary report on the fire but will await a detailed report before releasing the findings.
Mr. McKenzie said $10 million will be released shortly to the Portland Municipal Corporation to begin the clean-up exercise.
He said the funds will also be used to provide a temporary market facility for butchers in the parish once the public health department signs off on the area.
The minister disclosed that the market was insured and investigators from both the insurer and the Jamaica Fire Brigade are continuing their probe into the cause of the blaze which also affected private businesses.
In the meantime, he said the ministry will be looking at ways of strengthening the market, which he lamented had undergone a $15 million renovation just three years ago.
"We are working with a private sector company, through the kind assistance of Minister Vaz, to come up with a concept for the market that will allow much more space and allow vending to be done in an orderly fashion," he revealed.
Over the last year and half there have been 17 fires at markets across the island, costing the Ministry of Local Government in excess of $100 million to effect repairs.
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