PRESIDENT of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Clinton Urling has been critical of the slothfulness in the removal of illegal roadside vendors.

In an invited comment yesterday at the GGCI seminar at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, he emphasised that roadside vending is indeed an unlawful practice.
In that light, Urling declared that the GCCI supports the measures that the government is putting in place to have the errant vendors removed as it constitutes a very pressing matter of commerce in Guyana and the measures should be implemented at a faster rate.
He added that when it comes to any institution or arm of the government, the people should always follow whatever procedures and rules have been implemented to uphold law and order.
He noted that these vendors are violating the rights of store owners and their businesses when they vend illegally on the pavement, especially in the Georgetown area, and this is the responsibility of the relevant authorities, especially since they are unlawfully carrying on their trade in spite of being warned multiple times.
Meanwhile, several persons were interviewed by this publication and asked their opinions on this issue. Most of them said that to have the government relocate these people would be a wonderful thing as they are a “nuisance” to persons passing along the pavements and streets.
Persons are saying that although the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development has indicated that rapid measures are being put in place to remove these people, no such action is actually taking place.
Moreover, persons are of the opinion that these measures should not only be taken in the Georgetown municipality but rather countrywide.
They noted also that although tarmacs were constructed for the use of vendors, the authorities in their view have made no effort to have these persons use the facilities as they are still in the areas where they ought not to be selling and what is worse is that daily, the number of illegal roadside vendors is increasing.
Some of the vendors, however, are claiming that no warning was issued and they have been selling at their present sites for many years without obstructing anyone or anything. And some are also saying that they are willing to relocate, but are finding it difficult as they fear that if they lose their preferred “spot”, it will cause them to lose customers and profits.