Prime Minister Bruce Golding has pledged to provide cash assistance of $100,000 to each of the vendors whose goods were destroyed in the fire at the Oxford Mall arcade in Kingston earlier this week.

The prime minister, who is also member of parliament for West Kingston, met with the vendors at the offices of the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) on Thursday, during which he pledged to provide cash assistance and to look at the possibility of getting waivers for those who might have goods coming into the island, to help reduce the duty.

The Christmas period

He has proposed to put in steel-container structures in the arcade facility to allow the vendors to get back to business as quickly as possible, especially in light of the Christmas period just around the corner. The prime minister said the KSAC would work out the arrangements with the vendors on the terms of occupancy of the facility.

Golding called on the vendors to be more responsible, noting that reports had indicated that the fire should not have taken place and was the result of welding that got out of control.

During the meeting, the vendors also put forward additional recommendations which, they believe, will assist them in getting their operations back to normal at the earliest possible time.