By Shauna Jemmott

IN an attempt to clean up the city of Georgetown and regularize vending, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council has embarked upon a plan to construct mini malls alongside city streets, renting spaces to street vendors.Public Relations Officer (PRO) Debra Lewis told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday that although Article 28:01 of the Mayoral and District Council Act states that street vending is not legitimate, the Council has considered the fact that many people are poor and are trying to make a daily living in an honest way.
She said while the M&CC never wanted to put vendors out of business, they have come up with the new project as part of a wider plan to beautify the city, while still encouraging entrepreneurship.
The construction of a mini mall comprising nine stalls on Orange Walk and Regent Road, just outside the Bourda Market, is part of the Council’s initiative to allocate stalls, giving particular consideration to vendors with special needs and those who have been vending along the roadways, Lewis said.
“We cannot just take people off the street,” Lewis told the Guyana Chronicle.
Yesterday being designated International Women’s Day, Lewis said the Council also recognised that the vending population is dominated by women, a majority of whom are single parents, and they are “earning honest dollars to sustain their families.”
The council is also looking at other locations around the city where vending can be done in legitimate and sanitary conditions.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Lewis also disclosed that the construction of a wholesale depot at Merriman’s Mall is almost complete and the La Penitance market and a few other popular vending spots have been identified for special market development projects.
The reconstruction of the Kitty Market is underway and priority for allocation of stalls will be given to those who were already owners of stalls there as well as those vending along the road outside the market.
The council is undertaking these projects with the hope that vending would be properly regularized and each vendor has a comfortable place of business, Lewis explained.