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Apia market rehab delayed again

Farmers braving the hot sun and torrential downpours at Fugalei will have to endure the conditions a little more.After years of waiting – followed by the promise that the Fugalei Market would open in March 2014 - Site Manager, Lei’ataua Tom Tinai, confirmed yesterday that the market might not open until June.“We are looking at June,” for the market to be completed, said Le'iataua, from Tinai, Gordon and Associates. Le’iataua said their client, the Accident Compensation Corporation (A.C.C.), has decided to keep Qing Dao and it seems likely they will “extend the time of contract”. He said this decision was made by the A.C.C. board. “The target is 30 May but it can be June,” he said.“The important thing is that it is completed before the Independence celebrations.”According to Lei’ataua, one of the reasons why the project is behind schedule are the high number of “rainy days”.Another reason blamed include problems with the supply of materials from overseas.Meanwhile, the Weekend Observer was told that while Qing Dao Construction is still be the “main” contractor for the Fugalei project, it is local sub-contractors who are doing most of the main work. Qing Dao Construction is doing most of the “side” work, Lei’ataua said.The main market building is being done by the “approved sub-contractors who are local”.He did not give the name of the subcontractors. But he confirmed that the sub-contractors are responsible for the steel structure and roofing and retaining walls.His comments follow weeks of denial from government that four local contractors had been brought into to replace Qing Dao. Instead of replacement, it seems the subcontractors are working alongside Qing Dao.Instead of replacement, it seems the sub-contractors are working alongside Qing Dao. Meanwhile, outside the fenced off area, farmers continue to express disbelief at the continued delays.