Although threatened by showers, the rain ceased just minutes before 12pm yesterday as the Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM) held another midday protest aimed at keeping the pressure on City Hall for a revocation of the contract.
The 12 o clock turnout appeared measly, but by 12:30 the sun had come out in all its glory and store owners across downtown Georgetown once again shut their establishments and they, along with their employees, made their way to City Hall, where hundreds turned out again to support yesterday’s demonstration.
Among the businesses represented were Farfan and Mendes, Clairans Boutique, Coffee Bean, Roraima Airways, National Hardware, Muneshwer’s, Camex Restaurants, as well as retail stores located on Water Street, Robb Street, Regent Street, King Street, and other locations affected by the placement of parking meters.
“The Spirit of Georgetown is dying!” businesswoman Usha Patel shouted. The woman, along with her contingent of staff were all outfitted in black, carrying black placards, many bearing the word “revoke” in bold, white letters.
“We purposely wore black today because we feel that the spirit of Georgetown is actually dying, there has been too many changes. There has been taxes on everyday things like toothpaste, soap, taxes on education, the parking meter,” the woman, who is the proprietor of a Water Street business said.
“People na come shop. People afraid. Everything raise in the store, wah nah raise get VAT, wah never had VAT before get VAT now and then you get the parking meter pon the other side,” Neil Ramotar, the owner of Raf’s Variety Store, located on King Street commented.
Ramotar told Stabroek News that not only has the implementation of parking meters affected his business “big time,” but coupled with the recent tax additions, the two have been burdensome and have resulted in a reduction in business activity.
He opined that business has dropped about 40-50% since the meters’ implementation, stating that the pressure was too much on the citizenry, who do not earn enough money for all those expenses. Ramotar had been spotted prior to the protest locking up his establishment, as he and his entire staff headed out to join the demonstration.
“We will continue to lobby, we will continue to fight from every angle, not from the back and the front alone but from the sides. Protesting is just one of the measures we have and we will continue to do what needs to be done as it unfolds,” Komal Ramnauth, of the MAPM told media operatives.
Ramnauth, who is a representative of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, asserted that if the city is looking to recover money owed to them, there is a legal route that can be taken.
“The City Hall know what they have to do, they have to collect their money, there are many forms of collecting your money but this is not one of the forms. This is more burden on the people. Collect the money from the errant tax payers,” Ramnauth stated.
He said too that aside from protesting and taking legal action against City Hall, the MAPM have written to the Mexican Ambassador here so claims made by Smart City Solutions that they have a “consortium of investors” involved can be verified.
Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan, as well as Deputy Mayor Elect Lionel Jaikarran turned out once again in solidarity with the protestors, with Jaikarran pledging unwavering faith to the cause.
“…I stick to things that are principled in life, I cannot go the other way. The same position I hold now, the same position I will hold next month when I am confirmed”, he said
Duncan, in support, said that the two believe strongly that they are on the “right side of history” and that the consistency of the protestors vindicates the position that the metered parking contract is “shaded in a lot of secrecy.” He further stated that what himself and Jaikarran stand for, along with the rest of the citizenry, is transparency, accountability and good governance.
