–in accordance with prior agreement, Minister Manickchand says

FOLLOWING an agreement made earlier this month, Parika Market vendors fully relocated inside the market on Monday evening.
This was according to Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand, following a visit to the market.
In a video posted on the ministry’s Facebook page, Manickchand said that she was pleased as the agreement, which was made earlier in December for vendors who previously vended alongside the road in Parika, to move into the Market before midnight on December 29, saw the vendors moving voluntarily.

“I’m extremely pleased, like very, very pleased, because we had an agreement with the vendors of the Parika market. Well, the Parika vendors who vended alongside the road, and have done that for many years, who were themselves uncomfortable because they flooded out often. They were exposed to weather. They were obstructing traffic and free flow of traffic and pedestrians who were coming on the boat and going on the boat,” she said.
Manickchand related that as the vendors moved voluntarily, the process of moving and breaking the stalls was also done voluntarily.
Manickchand said: “This is a model for how we can take this forward to every market and every area where we cooperate, government, market committees, vendors cooperate to bring some order to our Guyana – the Guyana we all want to see, a beautiful free spacious orderly Guyana where people get to make a living but it is not unsafe for them as they make a living nor does it obstruct other people and become a nuisance to other people.”
She noted that while all vendors in the area have moved, it is not an invitation for other vendors to start up on the road in that space.
The minister warned: “So any new person who believes that’s a free space you can vend in, please know now that’s not going to be allowed, either by the vendors here or by authorities.”
Earlier in December, the ministry noted that an agreement was secured following constructive and consultative engagement with vendors who operated along the roadway to move inside the market before midnight on December 29.
This move was set to restore order and improve safety around Region Three’s busiest commercial hubs.
In a release, the ministry noted that the move was part of a broader push to enhance public safety, reduce traffic obstructions, and elevate the overall shopping experience at Parika.
“This decision aims to clear the roadway currently used for vending, creating a safer environment for motorists and pedestrians, while also ensuring a more orderly, comfortable, and enjoyable market experience for shoppers,” the statement outlined.