Africa-Press – Cape verde. The City of São Vicente confirms the abandonment of the municipal project to renovate the fish market, to build the new infrastructure, proposed by the government. The new project should be financed by the World Bank, within the scope of the Resilient Tourism and Blue Economy Program, in around 200 thousand contos.
Statement made today, at a press conference by councilor Rodrigo Rendall, based on the announcement made last week by the government.
“The existing project was a municipal project, which aimed, above all, at a small, let’s say, requalification of the market. Even though the works had begun, there obviously came a time when the works stopped, because at that time this possibility of a more comprehensive requalification arose, supported by the World Bank, which involves other values that, obviously, the City Hall does not have(…). We stopped from the moment the possibility of this project arose, still at the time, with Minister Paulo Veiga, but also with Minister Abraão Vicente”, he says.
When asked about the various announcements and setbacks made by the city government regarding the completion of the initial project, despite the preparation of a new initiative, Rodrigo Rendall did not go into details and said that “things take time”.
“The process with the World Bank is an ongoing process. It’s also important for us to be sure that things will happen. There is a time for everything. We could not be talking, still in an initial negotiation process, to be talking again. And then it doesn’t happen. Things don’t happen. So, we need to secure this important financing, which was referenced so that we can really have this great project”, he points out.
Regarding the presentation of the accounts of the investment already made, without providing further details on the nature of the expenses, the councilor points to around R$4 thousand.
“Around R$3,000 to R$4,000 was invested, because we didn’t even have access to the amount, the rest of the amount [of the project], we started with our own resources. We are clarifying, and we have documents, which the president [Augusto Neves] will certainly present later. The Fish Market dossier was subject to analysis by the Tourism Fund, by the Finance Inspectorate”, he assures.
The rehabilitation works of the São Vicente Fish Market were launched on August 24, 2020. At the time, the São Vicente City Council aimed for interventions at the level of the floor, roof and installation of modern equipment, with an execution period of 3 months. The works also included the rehabilitation of the fish unloading pier and the front area facing the sea, with a budget of 39 thousand contos.
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