Vendors have been asked to temporarily remove from the Parliament View Mall to cater for a reorganisation but some are fearful that they will not be allowed to return.
At a meeting with Town Clerk Royston King on Monday, a decision was taken for the reorganisation, which is intended to allow each vendor to have an equal opportunity to ply their trade.
Stabroek News was reliably informed by vendors, who were told not to speak to the media about the meeting, that they were asked to remove their tents and stalls to facilitate the operation.
King yesterday said following a meeting on Monday, vendors agreed to the reorganisation of their stalls. The vendors, he said, also agreed for the council to sanitise the compound. Council, he said, has agreed to add two more sanitary facilities to the mall, improved lighting and security as well as a water supply. “Vendors would have agreed to rearrange, reorganise their stalls in a manner that will allow everybody to be seen by shoppers,” he added.
This activity, King said, would begin on November 6. King also said they would begin the registration of vendors in the same month.
Some vendors are fearful the move might see a reoccurrence of what took place back in April, when they were evicted from the Stabroek Square after being told that they would only have to temporarily remove for a clean-up exercise.
“This looks like a trick. The same thing they did to us when were at Stabroek Square and it seems as if it is the same thing they want to do again,” one of the vendors told Stabroek News.
President of the Guyana Market Vendors Union Eon Andrews told Stabroek News that from what he gathered, the meeting was secretive and attendees were told not to inform the media. Vendors later confirmed this to Stabroek News. Andrews also expressed fear similar to vendors that they might not be allowed to return to the vacant land after the reorganisation. Andrews also questioned why council would engage in such an activity when a deadline is approaching. The council has been granted an extension to use the land unto December 31st.
However, when pressed by Stabroek News, King said that the vendors would be allowed to return.
