Deputy Mayor, Chairman of Markets unaware of vendors move

Jan 13, 2017 News

-Vendors moved four times in less than two years
Deputy Mayor for Georgetown, Sherod Duncan, on Wednesday, along with the Chairman

Deputy Mayor for Georgetown, Sherod Duncan and Chairman of the Markets Committee, Lionel Jaikarran talking with a vendor at the Stabroek Market Square.

for the Markets Committee and Deputy Mayor-elect, Lionel Jaikarran, visited the vendors who were recently removed from the Parliament View Mall back to the Stabroek Mall Square.
“It has been less than two years and we have already moved them (vendors) four times,” Duncan said.
According to the Deputy Mayor, a report states that a decision is still to be made about where the vendors are going to end up, ultimately. “We are not working as Council. It has nothing to do with the body set up under Council to deal with these matters. The Markets Committee made recommendations and we haven’t even had a response to those recommendations but decisions are being made.”
The Deputy Mayor said, “Several recommendations have been made as to where the vendors go from the Parliament View Mall and like the rest of the city we were very surprised when we learnt the vendors have been moved over back to Stabroek Market Square.”
At several Markets Committee meetings, the Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green, said that no vending will be allowed back on Stabroek Market Square.
Duncan said, “I have learned from the media that the vendors were going over back. So I decided that I want to come this morning to see what exactly is happening at the market square. Lionel and I have decided that we are on a common ground to see what exactly is happening. The Stabroek Market square is more confusing than ever before and we are going to come to a year soon”.
The Deputy Mayor said that they have moved the buses from the square, uprooted the barricades and now they have brought the buses back; they have moved the vendors and yet again brought them back.
He said, “It is several shifting policy that are not coming directly from the Council.”
When questioned where he thinks the orders are coming from directly, The Deputy Mayor said, “Well I don’t know and that is why we are trying to find out what is happening.”
He continued, “This isn’t the way we want to start 2017 by any means, sending mixed messages to our vendors and our Councillors.”
The Markets Committee more than a month ago within its recommendation using the Council’s resources and time had made several recommendations to the council which to date have not found its way to the substantial Full Council to be looked at, discussed and debated, but decisions are being made outside of that. Duncan said that this is a bad start for the New Year.
Chairman of the Markets Committee, Lionel Jaikarran said, “Maybe about six weeks to two months ago the Markets Committee was out here with city officials and we looked at three sites, namely Transport and Harbour wharf, Stelling View Mall and the Ministry of Social Protection parking lot”.
Jaikarran said, “All three recommendations were recorded and sent to the Mayor, but since then I have heard nothing. Subsequently in a statutory meeting I got up and I asked if we are on record and I heard nothing.
“But then I read in the Sunday’s paper that the vendors have been relocated back to the Stabroek square and nothing was said to me as Chairman of the Markets Committee. This is not right because vendors are calling, Markets Committee members are calling me and I have no information to give to them. I think it should have been done in a better way”.
The vendors reported that they now have to be paying $1500 every Friday; the fee had increased from $1000. Also both the Deputy Mayor and Chairman for the Markets Committee weren’t aware of this change.
The Deputy Mayor-elect said that come March when he would officially be the Deputy Mayor for the City of Georgetown that he hopes to achieve transparency and accountability in his first term.
Moreover, one vendor that has been a part of the shifting around, said that he has to stand all day just to earn a decent living. “I don’t know what to do man”, further, “I don’t have anywhere to go; I have to struggle right here to pay my rent and other bills”. He has been on the market for approximately 15 years.
However, the vendors appeared to be happy and contented being back at Stabroek. They say that their sales are increasing. Some say that they are just “going with the flow”.

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