Dear Editor,
Just after 1pm and half an hour before the standard weekly Wednesday half day closing time on June 24th, four Stabroek Market stall owners experienced a direct tragedy of damage to property of their fixtures and items of clothing water soaked because of the sudden downpour directly over their stalls.
A video from a colleague stall owner was circulated evidencing the tragedy of the moment in the newly renovated 2026 Stabroek Market repairs upgrade.
On Thursday June 25th a.m. a representative stall owner visited the Clerk of Market at City Hall to report the damage requesting a staff to visit the affected stalls. The staff, the Clerk of Market, who relates to the stall owners, was not in office at the time of the first visit on Thursday morning June 25th. On a return visit the same day, Thursday afternoon, a staff was in place to take the report on ‘Please: could someone come, and see?’ The stall owner left feeling disheartened since no assurance was given when the Clerk of Market would visit. Still, no one from City Hall showed up at the market.
On Friday, June 26th a.m. water continued to pour in from the ceiling at roof level. A video is in place to support this report. A return visit to City Hall on Friday afternoon to contact again, the Clerk of Market, proved futile. The same plea of: “all I want is for someone to come and see the damage” were left unheeded. While at City Hall the stall owner overheard staff saying they are not getting on to the contractor nor the Minister.
To date, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, the matter remains unaddressed by the responsible authorities. Meanwhile some stall owners applied Eurobond adhesive to the hole in the ceiling gutter that continued to empty over specific stalls and rusted zinc sheets changed, while the Engineer still cannot be located and the Minister cannot be contacted.
To put things into perspective. The Stabroek market 2026 renovations is a government of Guyana project and not the City Hall’s project.
Answering these appeals are expected to come from the government recently renovated ceiling work team. In the meantime, with no response from either City Hall or the government project Engineer and responsible Minister of Government, the President’s hotline WhatsApp number 600-4040 was given to the stall owner. On Friday, June 26th at 7:24 pm the stall owner reached out to the President via this WhatsApp number 600-4040 and again on Saturday, June 27th at 1:34 pm with both messages unanswered.
Ceiling scenario: It is the observation of stall owners that with normal rainfall there is no leakage but with the shift in wind and storm, the ceiling became exposed showing that the guttering was patched and not changed as was led to believe during the renovations.
Wednesday, June 24th: downpour
Thursday, June 25th: plastic and clothes shifted to one side of stall
Friday, June 26th: everything water soaked
Estimated damage to this clothing stall that suffered the most damage including loss of business hours total FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($500,000.00). Normal storage: first sealed in plastic and stored in container. Items are hung on display covered in plastic. With this damage the items could be seen by customers as second-hand items or used clothing, having had to wash and rehang on display, reducing the original cost per item and a reduction on profits estimated.
This letter serves as an appeal from stall owners for consultation and/or dialogue with the Clerk of Market and/or the responsible government authority, on the way forward considering the recent tragedy.
Respectfully,
Maria Rodrigues
Concerned Citizen
Discussion