Edghill issues stern warning to Seawall vendors over unauthorised activities, poor sanitation

Aug 30, 2026 News

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…says failure to comply with rules will result in permit revocation

(Kaieteur News) – Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill on Friday convened an urgent meeting with vendors operating along the Kingston Seawall corridor to address a growing list of severe permit violations, including unauthorised activities, poor sanitation, and squatting.

According to a statement from the Public Works Ministry, the minister was joined by the Head of the Sea and River Defence Board, Kevin Samad, and the ministry’s technical staff.

“The Minister issued a firm ultimatum to operators regarding rampant non-compliance with the established conditions of their provisional approvals,” the ministry reported.

At the meeting, the minister focused on several major infractions currently plaguing the corridor, including unauthorised subletting, vendors illegally taking up residence inside their stalls, unauthorised electrical connections, severe noise nuisances, illegal structural extensions, and a complete disregard for sanitation and maintenance.

Expressing disappointment over the deterioration of standards since their last meeting, the minister said, “You all would have written and applied for these spots. You would have gotten provisional approval based upon certain conditions, which is lawful… I’ve had the need to meet with you before to enforce certain standards stipulated in your permits, but now you are backsliding, and hence I am here.”

He reminded vendors that the “no vending” and “no noise” zones remain in place and are strictly enforced, highlighting major security and public order issues tied to permit violations. He reiterated that no vending is permitted from the Kitty Roundabout heading east to Sheriff Street, nor heading west to the 1823 Monument.

“I see people are coming out in these same spaces. I have spoken to them, yet there has been no redress. So, I am urging you again to comply with the rules, because we will have to come and move everybody,” the Minister warned.

“There won’t be a move back in like the last time; it would be picking you up and moving you completely. Everybody knows their boundaries, so please pull back in where you have to and comply with the rules,” he told vendors.

According to the ministry, a critical issue the minister addressed was the transition of mobile vending carts into permanent, unauthorised living quarters. He instructed Mr. Samad and his team that any vendor observed living on the reserve must be immediately removed, noting that this has become a major issue.

“A watchman is not living [there]. We know when people are living. You have a bed, stove, bathroom, toilet, and you are telling me it is a watchman. Let me remind you, you are out here to sell,” he told vendors.

The minister noted that under the original agreements, vendors are required to operate mobile units.

He also made clear that the Government will not entertain future claims for compensation from vendors illegally occupying the reserve. “We have been lenient, but once development starts to take place, the cries of ‘I was living here and I have to get compensation’ will start. I’ve been hearing it around the country, and I will not tolerate it,” he said.

Also at the meeting, the minister raised the unsanitary state of the corridor, noting that the Government has placed nearly 40 garbage receptacles along the seawall. He advised vendors to form a committee among themselves to keep the space clean and well maintained, warning that failure to do so could ultimately result in permit revocation. According to the ministry, patrol teams will continue to actively monitor the area to ensure strict compliance.

Minister Edghill announced that infrastructural works are set to commence shortly to widen the road along the seawall. He said vendors are required to immediately rectify their boundaries and restructure their operations to prevent any obstruction to the imminent national development works.

“The maintenance of the Kingston Seawall is paramount, not just as a premier recreational and tourism hub following recent beautification efforts, but primarily as a critical sea defence structure protecting the city. Illegal concrete casting, improper waste disposal, and unauthorised utility connections directly threaten the structural integrity and drainage capacity of this coastal defence mechanism,” the ministry said.

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• poor sanitation, Public Works ministry, Seawall vendors, unauthorised activities

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