— slothfulness of city administration cited

A MEMORANDUM of Understanding (MoU) between vendors operating on the Stabroek Market Wharf and the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has not yet been signed, although an undertaking was given for this to be done weeks ago.

As such, many of the vendors are continuing to operate in this location although a threat to their lives exist, and even in view of City Engineer, Colvern Venture’s warning that the facility is in a dire state and persons need to remove.

Acting Town Clerk, Sharon Harry told reporters on Friday that the plan is now for the vendors to sign the MoU early in the new week.
The site where they are to be relocated, being west of the Parliament Buildings, has not yet been prepared for the vendors, Harry reported. Toilet facilities are still to be built and stalls are yet to be constructed.

According to Harry, after the vendors sign the MoU, they will then be given a location to erect their stalls.

Meanwhile, the MoU does not specifically state that the vendors will be returned to their original spots on the Stabroek Wharf after the repairs are completed.
The council had taken a decision in the past that the vendors will be allowed to go back to the wharf after renovation works.

In fact, the MoU should have already been handed to the vendors for their perusal and their feedback to the M&CC, Chairman of the Markets and Public Health Committee, Trichria Richards told Guyana Chronicle recently. She said she could not understand why the administrative arm of the M&CC opted to read the MoU to the vendors as opposed to handing them copies.

“The sloth of the administration is what is delaying the process. They’re taking their own time. We need to allow the people to start the process; Christmas coming,” Richards said.
“Some vendors are still on the wharf even though we issued a cease order and other notices. But we’re trying to see how best we can speed up the process. We know people are losing money every day,” she added.

Richards said while the vendors will be returned to the Stabroek Wharf area, it was not necessary for this detail to be included in the MoU, lest it “confuses” the document.

But Councillor Bishram Kuppen is of the view that this agreement ought to be included in the MoU. Based on the visits he conducted at the area in question, he said vendors are very concerned that they will not be returned to the location.

He recalled it being said by authorities in the past that the wharf is being repaired in a manner that may not permit these low-end type businesses in the future.
Meanwhile, the relocated vendors are expected to construct the stalls at their own expense and will be paying a rent of $6,800 monthly.

It is estimated that one stall will cost some $400,000 to construct. “Rightly $6,800 is a low figure but I don’t agree in raising either; not with what is happening, we have the vendors agree to build their own stalls and we give them a grace period, because it’s not easy to find $400,000 – $500,000 to build and then to pay [rent] so we’re still willing to do it,” Mayor Patricia Chase-Green had said.

Additionally, she said the M&CC will also have to look at drainage works, sanitary facilities and security lighting, among other things.

The vendors will have to adhere to building the stalls to the standard dimension of 8 feet x 10 feet and a maximum height of 13 feet. At this dimension, a total of 82 stalls are expected to fit in the designated relocation site, the area west of Public Buildings, which formerly housed the number 42 bus park.