Dear Editor,
The most obvious advantage of vending is the generation of employment and income by small ‘entrepreneurs.’ Most vendors cannot hire help, so their relatives, mostly offspring, are the unpaid, ‘voluntary’ help. The countless trays, stands, carts and sometimes semi-permanent, deplorable structures, pose serious health and traffic hazards.
As I traverse the sidewalks/pavements, which by the way were built for pedestrians to enable them to stay off the roads and away from vehicular traffic, the confusion caused by cleaning and fixing, ie, setting up vending activities is disruptive, loud, vulgar, abusive, disrespectful, unjust and unnatural. Vendors stand in the middle of the sidewalk, sweeping with or without water, and refuse to stop when pedestrians are approaching. If for any reason, the passerby who has been soiled or inconvenienced makes any comment, they will get a lesson in their family’s history as well as vivid descriptions of their anatomy and that of their relatives, especially their mother.
The vending spot becomes day-care for young children, restaurant, café, bath and toilet, storage, hanging/meeting spot for friends, family and sundry, always resulting in no space to walk. The stench from the accumulated refuse, stool, urine and other forms of waste presents a frightening picture health wise.
The more worrying issue to me though, is the development of a permanent underclass with the illusion of private entrepreneurship. These enterprises can never be profitable enough for businesses to grow, but then again, I don’t think growth is the intent. The assortment of deplorable and dangerous attachments displaying a variety of merchandise for sale, speaks volumes of the intent of these ‘businesses.’ Children spend hours at these locations away from school, and are exposed to the most raucous, vulgar, aggressive behaviour displayed as a common feature wherever vending is allowed.
The argument that these vendors have to make a living is valid, but should be re-tooled with vocational training and commercial centres dispersed through densely populated areas for those who still want to pursue business as a profession. Citizens must understand that the state through its education systems prepares its work force.
Vending provides individual income, upon which many do not pay income taxes. The income earned by such ventures seems pale when compared to the potential revenue lost by legitimate businesses because of reduced sales. Legitimate businesses also provide employment, not volunteer help, which in turn reduces unemployment and raises the amount of taxes collected, so roads, schools and other facilities which vendors take for granted, may be maintained or expanded for our bulging city population. Guyana will remain a basket-case instead of being the bread-basket of the Caribbean with such a large percentage of its population being functionally illiterate and resorting to vending.
It amazes me that other citizens support these ventures through purchases that are exploitative and a health hazard in the case of food and beverages.
If vending in its present operational state is left unregulated and a free for all, then it will only serve to perpetuate the development and widening of an underclass.
Yours faithfully,
Bilaal Eusi Nantambu
