The Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is urging vendors in the capital city to respect the position of businesses, who have written the municipality following a court order, for the removal of stalls and other encumbrances surrounding their premises.
This call was issued by M&CC Town Clerk Candace Nelson, who explained that council will take defiant vendors to court for plying their trade outside business premises after being evicted.
According to Nelson, several persons have already been contacted by the City Constabulary Department and asked to desist from returning to business premises, from where they council has already removed them following letters from these establishments to the M&CC.
However, following their refusal to do so, those individuals were summoned by the court by way of an order and are currently awaiting hearing for this specific violation.
She explained that City Council is aware of the challenge posed due to the situation, especially since it continues to receive notices from businesses requesting that more vendors be removed.
Among them are Continental Agencies Limited, Camex Restaurants Inc., Popeyes Guyana Water Street location and Torginol Paints Inc.
City Engineers Department are in talks with the various entities to resolve the issue.
“As long as we’re aware that persons go back after they were removed, the constabulary department summons those persons to court… It’s about respecting the order of the court, as well as the council and the businesses.
“Because persons are given notices, very long notices, for their removal. And for those who did not move, we had to step in and have those persons removed. Well, most of them moved as a matter of fact, when we turned up to remove them. But it was explained to them that as a result of the court order, they cannot return to those positions,” Nelson disclosed.
As it relates to the relocation of vendors, Nelson disclosed that no plan has been finalised by the municipality just yet.
She explained that the matter regarding eviction notices must be resolved first, so Council can examine the extent of damages and cater for those affected.
“I know that there is something in the pipeline for the extension of the market to accommodate more vendors in that area, but that’s the only thing I know that we have spoken about. That has not materialised just yet. I’m not sure when either because, of course, we’re speaking about finances. But I really don’t want to give any personal reassurance at this time because it would just be lying to persons and I will not be doing that,” she added.
Only recently, the council removed vendors plying outside of Demico House in the Stabroek Market area.
This was done in keeping with a Court Order.
The court orders, granted by Justice Navindra Singh in April, came in response to an application filed by Banks DIH Limited, the parent company of Demico House. Those orders directed senior City Council officials to clear the pavement and surroundings outside the popular restaurant of vendors and their stands, structures, and belongings. Specifically, they were mandated to remove carts, drays, barrels, boxes, dustbins, tents, palettes, coolers, mobile stalls, and any other movable items obstructing the property.
Banks DIH Limited had claimed in the court action that the vending situation outside its premises adversely affects business operations.
A similar court order was granted in favour of Discount Store on Regent Street, Georgetown. Likewise, in November 2023 the court also granted an order to remove vendors from in front of Muneshwers Ltd, Water Street, Georgetown.
In that case, the applicant had said in its proceedings that the M&CC have completely disregarded their statutory responsibility and have allowed the proliferation of the encumbering of the pavements and streets around the building.
In December 2021, a High Court judge ordered vendors operating in front of the Shamdas Kirpalani building, Regent Street, Georgetown to be removed by the M&CC. Kirpalani’s case was filed in 2010.
