By Antonio Dey
Chairman of Banks DIH, Clifford Reis on Saturday said the food and beverage company will be moving to the courts amid failed efforts by the Georgetown Mayor & City Council to remove vendors from Demico House (Stabroek, Georgetown).
He told shareholders at the Annual 68th General Meeting that over the years the company had made numerous efforts to remove the vendors from operating around the premises to no avail.
Reis said letters were sent to the Town Clerk, City Council, Deputy Commissioner of Police, and Commander of the Regional Police Division requesting that these activities be ceased, but this produced no results.
“The Mayor and City Council initiated this plan but the results were not successful. Banks DIH Limited has no alternative now, my fellow shareholders, and we are contemplating now taking legal actions in the court to alleviate this problem just like what Munesh-wers’ company has done,” the Banks DIH Chairman said.
Reis’ disclosure came in response to a question posed by a shareholder regarding the vending situation at Demico House.
The Banks DIH Chairman revealed that consequent to the escalating situation, the company continues to count its losses as there has been a significant decline in customers at the Demico outlet.
Reis lamented “My fellow shareholders, the number of clients going into our restaurants of Demico House has decreased. We can’t even get into the IDIHO building now. The restrooms and the toilets are being abused”.
He continued “The company is losing finance at Demico House. The whole area is being abused and we just can’t continue to run a business under those conditions,”
He added that following a letter by the company’s attorney to the Georgetown Mayor City Council (M&CC), a meeting was subsequently held between the company and the council.
Reis said that representatives of the M&CC vowed that they will be visiting the area to possibly find ways in which they could relocate the vendors to a better venue without affecting their source of income.
Stabroek News on Monday morning visited the location and interacted with several vendors who ply their trade in the environs of Demico House.
Compliant
When informed of this development by Banks DIH, Anthony Haynes a vendor for approximately 17 years said that he would be compliant and not fight the situation as he and other vendors were displaced several years ago by the M&CC.
“I don’t have a problem moving, you know once they propose another location I am going, and once my income isn’t affected, I am going, but the thing is we were moved before and this was years ago, but I don’t know what happened, we are asked to return to the original location according to city council”, Haynes recounted.
Haynes sells, a variety of products including cellphones and household accessories.
One vendor who sells beverages said she is deeply shocked at the action being taken by Banks DIH.
‘I honestly don’t know how to respond to the situation I am shocked”.
Another vendor said “This would affect me a lot because you know this is what helps to feed my family you understand, all of this would be stressful for me because I now would have to find another place to relocate”.
“They got to find a better place to move people before requesting their removal”, the vendor reasoned.
Noting that it has been his uncle’s venture for over 16 years, the young man who sells cellphone accessories said that it would be wise that the board of directors at Banks DIH consult with the vendors before taking such action.
He reasoned that many vendors have families to feed and it would be unconscionable for their daily incomes to be affected.
Another vendor related that like herself some individuals sell products of Banks DIH which in other words creates a positive outcome for the food and beverage enterprise.
According to her, the Chairman of Banks DIH should consider this and find amicable solutions, to the situation as many single parents ply their trade along the Demico route.
She noted that while the Mayor and City Council need to improve the aesthetics of the area where vendors and consumers interact, Banks DIH if it desires to displace vendors should propose a better location.
The vendor who sells food items like channa and egg balls said that she has been occupying the precincts of Demico House for over 15 years, and was removed by the M&CC several years ago.
She recounted that vendors were relocated to the Linden Bus Park, but were subsequently asked to return to their original place of vending by the municipality’s council.
“I was affected a few years and there was some back and forth between Banks DIH and Demico because we were relocated to Linden Bus Park, but we had to come right back here”.
Another female vendor who indicated that she is a single parent said that Banks DIH should reconsider its actions as her daily source of income would be in jeopardy.
Meanwhile, another vendor who goes by the alias “Scratchy” also echoed these sentiments.
The male vendor who is known for selling Banks beer and other products said that the company does not care about the “small man”.
According to the irate vendor, the Mayor and City Council should build better structures or provide convenient locations for persons to ply their trade.
