By Stabroek News
Copyright stabroeknews
Even as the Changhong supermarket at the corner of Brickdam and Brummel Place in Georgetown is set to open next month, the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) yesterday said it is still trying to find out the name of the owner so as to be able to serve a building notice that says construction is ongoing without permission.
A representative of the new supermarket, located opposite a Ministry of Education building, told Stabroek News that the business will be opened next month. Even so, he said the application process has not yet been completed.
By means of a translator of Chinese on his phone, he told Stabroek News: “I haven’t opened a store yet. All the procedures are still in the application process. I will open the store after I have completed the application.”
But City Engineer Colvern Venture subsequently shared that the M&CC has not granted any permission so far. “In fact we’re trying to get the right name of the property owner to send a notice because we didn’t grant any permission to anybody. We’re even checking the portal to see if it was submitted to see if we can pick up the name.”
According to him, an inspector paid a visit but the persons on site claimed they could not speak English. “We did pay a visit but I don’t know if the Chinese were advised not to give any name or they genuinely cannot speak English. But I think by today (Thursday), we should know who the person is and get a notice served.”
He said he is unsure who gave the Chinese the go-ahead to do works and that even if they have submitted an application, the M&CC is unable to see it at the moment.
“They submit these applications on the single window portal…when these commercial things go, sometimes we don’t get access to it unless CHPA (Central Housing and Planning Authority) invite us. If it’s the normal single residential or multi family, we can see that on the portal, but when it comes to things like supermarket, industrial areas and so forth, we don’t have access to it unless we are invited by CHPA on the portal. So if it’s submitted, we are not able to access it,” Venture explained.
He said he is not in agreement with opening a supermarket at this particular location. “It’s very out of sync with what is established within that location. And worse yet, I am sure the Chinese are not building in accordance with regulations.” Other than being a high traffic area, he pointed out that the Department of Education is also right there.
