THE Stabroek Market vendors have been vending in that area for many years now and according to their way of thinking, they have rights just as do every other Guyanese. The demolition of these vendors’ stalls and their illegal occupancy of the area, along with these stall holders’ refusal to be, and determination not to be, moved from the area, raise an issue that is even more sinister than the actual ‘bombing’ incident that brought about this chain reaction in the get go.

What I noticed while observing media reports on this issue, is the fact that many or all of these vendors produced what they believed to be valid receipts which proved that they were well within their legal standing to vend on the Stabroek Market Square.

These vendors have been paying, some of them for many years, the supposed vendors’ tax or vending fee for such act. One vendor’s receipt, as was displayed on the news cast, amounted to thousands of dollars in ‘rent’ for her spot.

This means, that for years, these transactions were being conducted. This means that someone (individual or group), has been receiving vendors’ money. This is the heart of the problem.
To settle this matter, the government has to focus circumspectly, and zero in on this issue, which is the source of the problem. They must identify the person or group who receives rent from vendors, in order to address this problem. Authorities must get to the source of the Stabroek Market Square vending issue.