Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am informed by the District Council of Flacq that the old market fair in Bel Air was a private one which does not fall under its control and has been operating for more than 30 years. Around 340 sellers were working in this market fair. In the year of 2014, the District Council decided to construct a new market fair to accommodate a total of 515 stalls. Madam Speaker, following the construction of the new market fair, the District Council invited an expression of interest in accordance with section 57 of the Local Government Act on 19 April 2024 for allocation of the 515 stalls at the new market fair. The eligibility criteria for allocation of stalls were as follows – (i) Applicants should be over 18 years; (ii) Applicants should reside within the administrative area of the district Council of Flacq. This condition was not applicable for applicants operating at the private market fair as per the survey record from the public health department of the Council. (iii) Applicant should be unemployed; (iv) Applicant should not already be a holder of any stall, booths, shops, space or other place inside a market or fair, and last (v) Applicant should not already be a holder of any trade fee receipt, business registration card or any license from any other authority. The expression of interest exercise was launched for the 515 available stalls, where 339 stalls were allocated in the new market fair, while 176 stalls were not allocated. Subsequently, 13 stalls were surrendered by the stallholders. Therefore, there were 189 vacant stalls to be allocated. Madam Speaker, as regards part (b) of the question, I am informed by the District Council that a survey was carried out by Health Department and it was observed that 340 stallholders were operating in the old market fair. Only 145 obtained a stall in the new market fair, while the remaining 195 stallholders either did not show interest or did not obtain a stall due to the following reasons –

54 (i) The applicant was holder of business registration card to carry out business in other places; (ii) The applicant was holder of a stall in the market or fair in other local authorities; (iii) The applicant was holder of an employment; (iv) The applicant had not signed the application form and had not submitted the required document. Following representations from many of the sellers who were not found eligible, the criteria for the reallocation of stalls were reviewed by the District Council, and a second expression of interest was launched on the 01 October 2024, whereby the fifth criterion was amended as follows – “Applicant should not already be holder of any trade fees through receipt, business registration card or any license from any other authority, save and except for persons already found in the survey list of the Public Health Department for being holder of a business registration card for distributor of general merchandise, owner of goods vehicle having a and/or carrier license or owner of any business registration card or activities in relation to the existing private fair, including growing of vegetables.” Madam Speaker, I am informed by the District Council that the evaluation of the application is in progress by the Bid Evaluation Committee. Priority will be given to the existing stallholders operating at the private market fair provided that they meet the eligibility criteria for allocation of stalls. My ministry is following the matter closely. Thank you.

The hon. Second Member for Savanne & Black River. NTC – FINANCIAL STATUS – BUS FLEET