– after vendors complain about harassment from revenue collectors

By Tamica Garnett

FOLLOWING complaints from Regent Street vendors about being harassed by City Constabulary Officers to pay inflated vending fees in light of the Christmas season, Deputy Mayor Alfred Mentore explained that City Hall is in the process of installing a system to abolish the collection of vending fees by revenue collectors at vending sites.
When the system becomes fully operational, all payments will be made at the City Hall offices.

“We’re almost nearing the point where the situation, where revenue people go and collect will be eliminated after this year. We’ve put systems in place where people will pay here, and all they will have is a revenue person who will go with a machine to scan their ticket. We’re trying to get in structured in our computer system,” Mentore explained.
Youman Bissessar, who says he has been vending at the same spot on Regent Street, between King and Wellington Streets, for over ten years said he was recently harassed by a revenue collector.

He said the harassment was intensified when “the road opened”.
To facilitate the increase in demand from consumers that goes with the Christmas season, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) would customarily allow “seasonal vendors” to occupy available space along Regent Street during a specified period. This activity typically begins from around December 15. However, this year, the MCC took the decision to begin the exercise from November 20.

Bissessar said he recently had some of his goods taken away, a situation he believes came about because he refuses to pay the revenue collectors more than his regular fees.
“The constable come and carry away one of the bicycle,” he said, adding: “They did carrying more, but I hold on ‘pon one. They say they get order to carry it in the constabulary.

“We pay $2000 every week. When she come and say $2000, we pay she, but we have to give her something more, or she harass we. If two weeks we pay the $2000 and we ain’t give she nothing, she come and harass we more. Check my stand; I am not encumbering on the pave. What you realise is that there is a lot of corruption going on. Who could pay can get the best deals.”

President of the Guyana Market Vendors Union, Eon Andrews said he has been getting many complaints from the vendors these past few weeks.

“People are selling all year; they have no problems with them. Suddenly, at Christmas time, they’re appeasing these big stores because a lot of them also want to put things outside of stores. I don’t have a problem with that, but the Mayor has made it clear that stalls that have been here the entire year, leave them alone,” Andrews noted.
Another issue the vendors have is being told by City Constabulary Officers that they are not allowed to use tents. Deputy Mayor Mentore stressed that the vendors are allowed to use tents.

“We’ve addressed that issue. The decision on the use of tents is that they can use the 6×6 tents; that’s for the people who are there permanently. The people who are there temporary for the season, they use umbrellas. But those persons with goods like fruits, we would give an exemption to those persons because we understand the nature of their business,” Mentore explained.

Sixty-one-year-old Lorain Kirton said she was told by a M&CC officer that she could not put up a tent, and thought the situation impractical, given that the rainy season occurs in December.

“They said you gah use the umbrella, but then the umbrella don’t make no sense when the rain is falling, because we does get soak. When the big rain come down, I get soak. When I get soak, at nights my knee and my hand does pain meh,” Kirton complained.
She has been selling for over 30 years at the same her spot, on the south-western corner of Regent and Wellington Streets, and has used her tent in the past without issue.
“Every year at Christmas time, they does allow us with the tent, but suddenly they ain’t want we use no tent,” she said, adding: “The road does open, and the stores dem does trust yuh goods [give items on credit]. You have to secure the goods, so that you could mek a money and pay the people for their goods. If we don’t have nowhere to secure the goods, we can’t really take the goods.”

Susan Solomon, who’s 29, shared that she is also being affected by the no-tent situation. She sells on Wellington Street.

“Before, they told me I could sell with a tent, because I’m not on Regent Street itself. But now no tent. Where am I going to get money to go and buy an umbrella for $8500?” she said.

Aside from the issue with the tent, she says she is also being harassed by the revenue collectors. She explained that she vends throughout the year, albeit intermittently.
“I don’t be around sometimes, because I does gah go out the country to look after my son, because he does trouble with his eyes. I came out since in September, but one Monday, the girls them that does collect money saw me and tell me I have to pay $3500. I tell them I never pay that money before,” Solomon said.

According to Solomon, since going into City Hall to query the fee, she has been told by the revenue collectors that she will not be allowed to sell outside of the Christmas season, notwithstanding getting permission from the Acting Town Clerk, Sherry Gerrick, to be allowed to vend year-round.

“Me ain’t went in to complain for nobody; I went in to find out really how much money I have to pay. The Town Clerk told me when I’m not around, I can pay something so that they can know that I still want the spot. They still telling me when the road close I can’t sell anymore,” she complained.

Many more vendors are complaining about harassment from the revenue collectors. However, Mentore is advising the affected vendors to make reports to the Council.
“If anyone comes to them let them come to me or the Mayor and we will be able to deal with those matters. We would also speak to our administration, we have spoken to them but we will engage them again to let them understand to be a lot more reasonable and flexible with these people and be accommodating. It’s only for six weeks, work with them and let them work with us, that’s our position,” Mentore said.