Malatia Marketplace May Reopen: Director Provides Details

The Malatia Marketplace is set to resume operations on Saturday, February 4, if the violations identified by the Urban Development, Technical and Fire Safety Inspection Authority are rectified by then.

“We have been given instructions on what we need to prioritize. The most dangerous areas must be addressed, including fire-risk ceilings and open electrical connections. They are working with us to ensure we complete this work in a very short period. We started work early this morning, and we need to finish in two days so that the market can reopen on Saturday. Most of the market staff are here assisting, and 10% of the work has already been completed. The inspection authority will review our work, and if everything meets the requirements, the marketplace will reopen on Saturday,” said Samvel Avetisyan, the director of the Malatia Marketplace.

Regarding the requirement to maintain an 8-meter space between buildings, the director mentioned that they cannot meet this requirement at the moment. “If we construct a new building, then yes, we must maintain that space, but we are not currently building new structures. The existing buildings that do not meet their requirements need attention, but we are focusing on the issues deemed most urgent by the inspection authority,” he added. “The head of the inspection authority has been accommodating, for which I am very grateful. I was concerned that there was an intention to close the market, but that is not the case; they also want everything to be resolved so that the marketplace can resume operations. We will ensure that neither they are harmed nor we are,” said Avetisyan.

It is worth noting that the Malatia Marketplace has not been operational since February 1 due to the decision of the Urban Development, Technical and Fire Safety Inspection Authority. Out of 17 violations recorded during inspections last year, 12 have been rectified, while the remaining require more time, according to the marketplace director.

On February 1, marketplace employees staged a protest demanding permission to work until the identified violations could be corrected. After a brief conversation with several employees and representatives from the inspection authority, the director announced that they were going to meet with the inspection authority to discuss the next steps. The owner urged employees to cease the protest and go home.

As a result of the meeting with the inspection authority, an official statement was released confirming an agreement that starting today, the marketplace owner, in collaboration with the inspection authority’s specialists, will implement clear and intensive measures to address the identified issues that pose a fire threat. Only after resolving these issues will the question of lifting the prohibition on operations in the area be discussed.