In the wake of protest action from vendors, who usually ply their trade on the section Merriman’s Mall where operations have been temporarily ceased, President David Granger has said that vendors must be provided with suitable spaces to operate but the City Council must also be able to enforce the City’s by-laws.
“The City Council has responsibilities. It has by-laws and regulations. I have been advised that the Town Clerk actually had meetings with the vendors. Warnings were actually given months ago,” the Ministry of the Presidency quoted him as telling a reporter during a recording of the television show, ‘The Public Interest’.
On this note, President Granger said it is understood that a change in location can affect their livelihoods and the City Council must put arrangements in place to ensure that those displaced are given accommodation at appropriate locations to ply their trade.
“…There is a large vending population in Georgetown and we must accept that. Some people prefer to buy from vendors, but vendors must conform to the laws. They must not leave debris and rubbish [scattered on the ground] and they must not go into prohibited areas. The City Council must provide areas for them and they must abide by the municipality regulations,” the President said.
Town Clerk Royston King said that City Council was forced to temporarily suspend vending in the section of Merriman’s Mall between Cummings Street and Orange Walk, since vendors were not adhering to waste disposal and other guidelines that had been communicated to them last November.
“We told them that their stalls should be made to a specific height, colour and size; that they should have appropriately covered receptacles to dispose of their garbage in an environmentally friendly way; that they should not drop their waste into the North Road or Church Street Canals; that they should not park their vehicles on that stretch…and the area should be left clean at the end of the day. That was not adhered to. And so out of an abundance of concern, we suspended vending so that we can clean the environment,” the Ministry of the Presidency quoted King as saying.
However, a temporary area on the Mall, between Cummings and Light Streets, was identified for them to operate, while the Council evaluates their operations to ensure that it falls in line with City by-laws. Meanwhile, the area that was temporarily suspended will be cleaned and based on the vendors’ adherence to guidelines, a decision will be made on whether they can return to that location.
What had been decades of hard work seemed to have been reduced to nothingness for vendors of the Merriman Mall, Bourda, Georgetown, who were on Wednesday morning stunned by the sudden move by the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to have them remove from their place of business.
That move sparked much criticism and the angry mob took their cries to the gates of the Ministry of the Presidency.
The vendors gathered outside the President’s Shiv Chanderpaul Drive office and their irate rants became a sound warning to President David Granger, that if he did not step in to remedy the situation, then there might be trouble.
Close to 30 vendors, many of whom have been selling for close to 35 years at the Merriman Mall, complained that the M&CC was cheating them for no apparent reason.
The vendors said they turned up Wednesday morning, unaware that the Council had made the decision to move them.
The M&CC on Monday said that it was placing a temporary suspension on vending on the Mall between Orange Walk and Cummings Street, Bourda.
It said it observed that the area was untidy and not in keeping with the vision to keep the city clean.
But the Council has been at odds with these vendors for quite some time now. Back in October last year, members of the Council pounced upon them, destroying their stalls and items without any proper explanation or prior notice.
Later that same month, Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase Green had warned that if vendors did not comply with an order to become uniformed, they would lose out on the opportunity to continue.
The problem with Guyana is that people don’t pay their fair share of taxes and the vendors are a prime example. They want nice market place and place to sell but they don’t clean up their surroundings. Tax them and they will start to cry. Guyana needs an integrated system where each agency from GRA to MCC should be cooperating to ensure that everyone is in compliance. All the vendors/contractors/carpenters (all self employed) need to be properly licensed and to be licensed, they need to provide a copy of their compliance certificates.
The PPP did not allow the city to become a garbage city. The Mayor and City Council did that on their own. Blaming this on the PPP is just one sided as it comes. Hammy and his cohorts were bent on making GT a pig sty from the moment the PPP took office to make them look bad. If they were interested in working with the PPP don’t you think all the cleaning up they did in the last few months could have been done every year. And all the calls for LGE that was made, Hammy never once open his mouth.
The moron is on an extended vacation with our money they have all become certified tourist now while more ppl getting white mouth welcome to the reform PNC–
Really Flash–there you go again blaming the PPP. what about the mayor for life Green–a useless piece of–what has he done?Without the vendors ppl like you and your family will end up with white mouth like in the Burnham days–dumb and dumber.
This president read my blog yesterday. Good sense.
GRA and NIS need to step in now and have all these vendors enlist themselves with the relevant entity and to start to pay their dues.
Yesterday budget cut clearly tells that the treasury is almost empty (SQUANDERED) by this present dictator.
I acknowledged that more than 95% of these lawless vendors are our “KIT and KIN”
These same vendors, when they come to the USA, they have to abide with the rules and regulations . You have to keep your surroundings clean. Your cars are ticketed when parked in a No Parking Zone. What is so hard about keeping the environment clean.Gone are the days of the PPP who allowed the City to become a Garbage City. As far as I am concerned you the vendors should be removed from there.
Enforce regulations but provide appropriate space for vendors – President urges M&CC
Told ya all is dog and pony show !!!
Where is Nagababboo boss man Harmon these days?
Why is Harmon in silent mode?
Who muzzled Harmon on the GDF illegal operation that caused 3 deaths?