Vendors must conduct business within confines of the law - Town Clerk
- Mayor blames situation on Govt's indecision
Kaieteur News
March 8, 2007
The presence of City Constables will be heightened in the city with the aim of ensuring that the city's by-laws are adhered to by citizens.
This disclosure was made by Town Clerk, Ms Beulah Williams during a press conference at City Hall yesterday.
Williams's comments came in the wake of protest actions, on Tuesday, by vendors who claim that their livelihood is being hindered since they are not being allowed to conduct their business.
The vendors were recently evicted from the Stabroek Market Square , prior to road works carried out by the Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works.
According to the Town Clerk, the Council is quite aware that the workers must make a living and as such are not restricted from plying their respective trades, but must do so within the confines of the law.
And this she explained will be possible if vendors make use of the “very under-utilised” Toolsie Persaud mall, the Stelling View area and the Stabroek Bazaar, where several of them are already stallholders.
Williams further noted that the efforts by the Constables to maintain some level of order in the city will be conducted in a systematic way and is not intended to discriminate or attack anyone.
City Constables will be dispatched on a daily basis along Regent and Robb Streets as well as in the vicinity of the Stabroek Market and “just about every other commercial area” to ensure that the streets and footpaths are not obstructed by vendors, Williams related.
She added that while the actions have been intensified for Cricket World Cup, it will remain an ongoing effort.
Williams pointed out that it is the task of the Council to present an outstanding Capital City to the world, an undertaking it intends to successfully accomplish.
She speculated that though the vendors are peeved at the efforts, the other half of the population is very pleased with the enhancement works being done by the Council.
But City Mayor, Hamilton Green at a subsequent press briefing expressed his dissatisfaction at “the hand dealt to the vendors”.
He believes that the eviction imposed by the Council was instigated by a number of people in high places who are attempting to micro-manage the city.
The Mayor pointed out that the entire vendor/eviction issue could have been resolved years ago.
He explained that City Hall had garnered assistance to prepare a plan for the city of Georgetown which was approved and passed by cabinet for implementation, but Government subsequently had that plan altered.
The original plan, Green revealed, had catered for the strategic placing of vendors among other issues, which were viewed as having the potential of becoming problematic.
And due to the failure of Government to implement this plan, Mayor Green was adamant that the foreseen problems would now affect an already challenged society.