Illegal vending should not be encouraged

Dec 04, 2008 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

The greatest problem that impinges on the development in this country is the sending of mixed signals. If we wish to move this country forward we cannot allow for situations in which more than one interpretation can be placed to what we say.

I recall a time in this country when there was much talk about businesses foreclosing. A bleak picture was painted about the business community and the troubles they were facing.

With one stroke, however, all the pessimism evaporated and businesses thrived as never before. This led to a boom with many new businesses opening throughout the commercial districts.

The positive change was brought about because of a singular act by Mayor Hamilton Green. He removed the vendors from Regent Street.

This is what led to the boom in the business sector in this country. Prior to that, there had been an invasion of vendors outside of the stores in the city.

Vendors simply took over the pavements and the piece of reserve between the parapets and the roads. Huge tents were erected to secure these vendors from the elements, giving the main shopping district the image of a shanty town.

In such an environment it was no surprise that commerce declined. Citizens refused to do shopping in such areas and as a result business and the economy as a whole suffered.

When the council took action to move the vendors off the streets and pavements, there was an instantaneous revival. Businesses thrived, more jobs were created for the unemployed, and greater investments began to flow into the city.

There was of course a big outcry from some quarters about how much suffering would result from taking the vendors off the street. A horror picture was painted of how persons would starve, etc.

The government decided to appease the vendors by asphalting a section of the Merriman’s Mall for their use. The vendors would not go there and there was another big uproar as to what was going to happen to poor people.

The government then took the dramatic step of acquiring a large plot of land on which to house the vendors. This is now fast turning into a white elephant.

Slowly, also, pavement and street vending are reappearing. This is unfair to those who took up their plots in the Water Street facility set aside for vending because they are complying with the law, paying their rentals while others are returning to the streets and openly flouting the bylaws. You cannot have development when this is allowed to happen.

I have refused for years to go anywhere near the Stabroek Market. There is just too much illegal vending taking place in that area.

To make matters worse, the entire area is a nightmare with a number of unsightly and illegal structures in place. Stands have been erected outside of the market, something that ought not to have been allowed since it creates an unsightly appearance and defaces one of Guyana’s tourist attractions.

Just before Christmas there was talk about vending being allowed for the holiday period. This is all the encouragement that illegal vendors need, as is now evident from what is taking place in the city.

Now we are hearing about restricting not preventing vending. This sort of talk will lead to further chaos in the city and really is going to retard development. The solution is quite simple. All illegal vending should be outlawed.

The law must be upheld not bent to accommodate vending. The authorities also need to understand that they are not empowering or enriching anyone by allowing them to vend on the streets. What sort of monies are these vendors making after they deduct their expenses? Pavement and street vending is not going to make anyone rich.

What is needed is for the law to be enforced and for all illegal vending to cease. This will once again make our markets profitable and a number of the small hucksters who do legitimate business in the markets will begin to see profits for the first time, since most of them are not having sales to even pay off their expenses but are simply holding on to their stalls hoping that things will improve in the future.

The City Council has to appreciate that it also has a responsibility to the vendors within its markets who are also suffering because of the practice of pavement and street vending.

It must insist that it will ensure compliance with the law and that street and pavement vending that are illegal will not be tolerated, either for this Christmas, or ever.