Vendors happy with renovated kiosks |16 January 2018

Artisanal vendors occupying the renovated kiosks on the Esplanade promenade have expressed happiness and satisfaction with the cleanliness they offer, but they also have some concerns about making them more conducive to work in.

The vendors have started to move back to their respective kiosks after they were closed down for a three-month renovation work.

The kiosks have got new red roofing sheets which have replaced the tiled roofing that had been there since the kiosks were built originally. The kiosks are also painted in colourful and bright colours of pink, yellow and pale green ‒ colours that provide a Creole touch to the infrastructure. Gutters have been added to the roofs so as to better capture rain water.

The vendors are very happy with the comfort and cleanliness the kiosks now offer as they say the roofs leaked before and water damaged their products.

“But the issue where water comes in when it rains has not been resolved. We have always put forward this issue but it has not been resolved in the newly renovated kiosks,” they said. The vendors would have liked to see the roofs extended so that they cover more space than they did before.

“Even tourists buying souvenirs get wet as there is not enough roofing to protect them from the rain,” they said.

Another concern is the rubbish left around the kiosks, especially the parts facing the stadium car park.

“We have to clean the rubbish ourselves and it causes a lot of inconvenience,” said the vendors. It also does not represent a good image to tourists coming to buy souvenirs, they added. A toilet facility added to the kiosks, they said, would have also helped create a more conducive working environment.

The Small Enterprise Promotion Agency (Senpa) announced that renovation works on the Esplanade kiosks would start in September last year and complete the following December.

The agency said the tenants were to be provided a temporary spot in the ex-children’s playground to continue their sales during that period. Special arrangements were made with the Seychelles Ports Authority (SPA) for flexibility and for special security measures for the 20 tenants from the Esplanade kiosks to be allocated inside and outside the port area to sell their products when they have cruise ships.