Town Clerk denies vendor removal scandal

Aug 09, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – The Mayor & City Council (MCC) has denied rumours being spread about plans to remove vendors from the Stabroek area after a releasing a press release yesterday.
Town Clerk, Candace Nelson stated that it has been brought to the attention of the MCC by concerned citizens that certain individuals, bent on creating confusion and mischief, within the municipality, have been mobilising street vendors to protest against the Council.

Town Clerk, Candace Nelson

She stated that those involved have informed sections of the vending population, in Georgetown, that the Town Clerk is preparing to remove them from doing business in the city. Nelson mentioned that it is a wicked plot to use street vendors to stir up trouble against the City Council.
Nelson noted that the Council would like to let the public know that there is no plan to remove or prevent vendors from doing their business and making their livelihood and that all vendors need to understand that, “those who are spreading these lies are seeking to use them for their own selfish interest, that they care little about vendors, many of whom are females and single parents working hard to maintain their children and others depending on them.”
Nelson mentioned in her statement that the Council is appealing to the vendors not to fall prey to the wiles of those, who are spreading lies to rile them up and cause them to lose business.
Furthermore, after a meeting with the Medical Officer of Health, Suzette Reynolds-Marcus and other senior staff of the Public Health Department on Thursday, multiple environmental health concerns were addressed. The results of this meeting were also sent to this publication via press release.
According to the release, at that meeting, Nelson raised several issues affecting the wellbeing of the city including the Council’s support for the work of the National COVID Task Force to enforce compliance to measures put in place, by the government, and the Council, to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the current negative garbage situation, sanitisation of municipal markets, meat and food hygiene, and the situation with the physical condition of the Municipal Abattoir.

The Town Clerk with City Solid Waste Manager, Walter Narine (right) and other government officials during a walkabout last week.

It was noted by the Environmental and Health Officials that one of the challenges facing the department is the inadequate number of appropriate facilities and poor monitoring of those facilities – wash sinks and appurtenances – installed at strategic areas, in the city.
The meeting also addressed the issue of unknown persons removing facilities, which were placed for the wellbeing of the citizens. The meeting agreed that, these are vital to the collective national effort to contain the spread of the Coronavirus in the city and the country as a whole.
The solution to this issue according to the M&CC is to put in place systems, not only to increase the number of such facilities but also to ensure that they are properly used by citizens. The release stated that this would require assistance from partners and friends of the municipality.
Nelson stated in the release that she will engage the National Task Force on COVID-19 about greater collaboration with the City’s Public Health Department. In the meantime, the Constabulary will play a greater role in working with the Public Health Department to persuade citizens in the city to comply with COVID-19 measures.
The question of the refurbishing of the Water Street Abattoir was raised within the meeting and it was agreed that the facility is in need of urgent repairs. The M&CC noted that in its present physical condition and numerous defects, and the resource constraints of the Council, make it necessary for the Council to seek assistance from the relevant national and international organisations.