The Office of the Leader of the Opposition today slammed the Georgetown Mayor and City Council for removing the vendors who ply their trade on Robb Street between Alexander and Bourda road, in Georgetown, noting that once again the Mayor and Town Clerk are “taking bread out of peoples’ mouths, creating greater hardships and increasing the cost of living for all the citizens”.
Following is the full statement issued by the Office of the Leader of the Opposition:
The Office of the Leader of the Opposition condemns in the strongest terms the unconscionable and whimsical actions of the Mayor and City Council and the Town Clerk of Georgetown as it relates to the abrupt removal of vendors who ply their trade on Robb Street between Alexander and Bourda Streets.
A delegation of the affected vendors converged at this office today to voice their concerns and to seek representation.
Among the concerns raised were:
1) The sudden cease order to stop vending;
2) The feeling of disrespect exhibited by the Town Clerk, Royston King, towards the affected vendors;
3) The failure to engage and consult with vendors seems to follow an established pattern by the City Administrators;
4) The affected vendors have been paying to the City’s Revenue Department a daily fee to ply their trade. This in itself is a contract between the City and the Vendors;
5) The affected vendors complied, participated and cooperated with the City’s cleanup programme by providing voluntary service as well as paying a sanitation fee for which no receipts were provided;
6) The large garbage receptacle that was placed for the use of the vendors was removed when the private contractor’s services were recently suspended, with no provision made by the City to facilitate the daily removal of the accumulated garbage from vending, businesses and citizens.
Wholesale and retail vendors who currently have perishable agricultural goods on site, brought from as far as Corentyne on the East and Parika on the West, stand to suffer substantial losses because of this capricious act that is preventing them from earning a daily bread.
Vehicles loaded with perishable goods were seen in the area with no permission to sell.
The Office of the Leader of the Opposition notes that once again the Mayor and Town Clerk are taking bread out of peoples’ mouths, creating greater hardships and increasing the cost of living for all the citizens, not only in Georgetown but across the country.
The Office of the Leader of the Opposition calls on the City Administration to take immediate necessary and sensible actions to rescind this reckless decision and allow the vendors to make a decent livelihood.
