INJUSTICE is rife in Bourda Market, stallholders say, as they highlight their continuous suffering at the hands of thieves, but they maintain that they are unable to voice their concerns openly against the authorities for fear of victimization.

The breakage of several stalls in Section D of the market which is made up mainly of rice stands is the latest instance of their woes. However, not a single official at City Hall who should be attending to this case could be contacted by the Guyana Chronicle for a comment. On the other hand, those who were contacted were unwilling to speak about the matter.
Thieves broke into the market sometime between Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. When this newspaper visited the market yesterday, there was hardly anyone who was willing to come forward and state what had transpired. Nevertheless, the few who spoke, did so on condition of anonymity.
The losses were not significant and so the stalls were opened for business as usual. The market has been broken into on numerous occasions, while the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) over and over had promised to beef up security there.
No one knew yesterday how the thieves managed to gain entry. Some speculated they could have hid inside the market until everyone had left; others opined that they could have entered by breaching weak points in the market’s wooden gates. “In fact there are so many questionable things about the market,” one stall owner remarked.

“NORMAL THING”
Stall owners said this has now become a “normal” thing in the market and whenever thieves strike, they would just replace their goods and continue with their business.
“We just have to move on. We can’t even look back because there is no way you can get your stuff back (from the M&CC). I’m here for more than two decades and whenever losses occur, you don’t get your stuff back. So I don’t pay too much heed to it,” one vendor said.
“They need to beef up security especially in the night. This is now a normal thing. There is nothing you can do about it. You just have to move on. I just give a statement because of formality and move on because nothing can be done,” another stall owner remarked.

RAFT OF ISSUES
Another stallholder noted that aside from the regular break-ins, no business could be conducted in their section once rain falls. Other issues in the market include very poor sanitation, leaky roof and guttering, vagrants living around, and obnoxious odours that turn away customers.
Meanwhile, the Markets Division when contacted refused to comment, but directed the Chronicle to Public Relations Officer, Royston King. King could not be contacted, nor could acting Town Clerk, Carol Sooba.
And Chief Constable, Andrew Foo said he was in no position to give a comment but just remarked that they were looking into the matter.