PM says Highgate to get two-storey market building

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the Government is to construct a two-storey market facility in Highgate, St Mary, to replace the current structure, as the government seeks to repair the country’s infrastructure.

The Highgate market was destroyed in July 2022 reportedly by an electrical fire. Dozens of stalls were damaged, resulting in losses valued at millions of dollars.

The prime minister outlined that the new outlay would see a more modern market on one level, with space for even more shopping on the top floor.

Holness, who was on a campaign tour of the area in the lead-up to the local government elections set for February 26, emphasised the timeliness of the rebuilding.

“You’re doing a lot of business here, but it is not convenient,” the prime minister noted.

“It is congested. Sometimes the town looks dirty, sometimes you don’t feel safe. A lot of the things are old and need to be repaired. So the Government has to come in now and make an investment, which is what we’re going to do with your new market,” he said.

Holness said Jamaica’s infrastructure has deteriorated over the last 40 years and asserted that “it is the Jamaica Labour Party that has started to rebuild and build new infrastructure”.

He told the gathering that $20 billion has been allocated in this year’s Budget to repair local roads, including those in central St Mary, where Highgate is situated.