THE Georgetown Mayor and City Councillors have issued directives to vendors plying their trade in the vicinity of Discount Store at Lot 102 Regent and Wellington Streets and the Banks DIH Limited property near Stabroek Market, to remove immediately.

The vendors in question have been operating stands selling various goods just outside the business places for some time now.

The correspondences dated April 24, 2024 and authored by City Engineer, Colvern Venture, stated that, pursuant to an order of the court, vendors plying their trade on the pavement and street/roadway around RNK Investments (commonly known as Discount Store) and Banks DIH Limited (commonly known as Demico House) are “hereby given final notice to immediately desist from selling around the environs and remove all encumbrances.”

If the vendors fail to comply, the City Council will confiscate all goods and structures in those areas.

Additionally, failure to comply, will prompt the council to take appropriate action as per Section 10 of the Government City Bylaws, the notices stated.

Vendors were further cautioned that a storage fee of no less than $20,000 would apply once their items are seized, and any unclaimed items after one month will be sold or disposed of by the City Council.

After the Georgetown Mayor and City Council failed in their attempts to evict the vendors from the area around Demico House, Clifford Reis, the Chairman of Banks DIH Limited, announced earlier in the year that the food and beverage manufacturer would take legal action.

New vendors began appearing, prompting the filing of legal proceedings against the City Council for failing to fulfill its role. The owner of Discount Store also approached the court for redress.

The Demerara High Court rendered decisions in favour of the two establishments.

As per the court documents seen by this publication, Banks DIH Limited stated that it has been occupying the Stabroek property since 1969.

The establishment further stated that the vending issue outside has gotten worse in recent years without any intervention from the City Council.

The business submitted that because of this circumstance, access to its property has been hampered, resulting in major financial losses. Several individuals have set up vending spots outside Demico House, the Discount Store as well as other businesses in the city, with some constructing makeshift structures and others utilising caravans.

Similar court orders against vendors have been obtained by Muneshwers Limited and Shamdas Kirpalani from the High Court. Around these two establishments, a number of people were selling vegetables, food, clothing, shoes, and other goods; some were hanging their items on the Muneshwers Limited building at Water and Commerce Streets.

Shamdas Kirpalani argued in its application that occasionally neither its employees nor customers can park in front of the store because of the street vendors’ operations. The owner added that the congestion created by the vendors had also attracted pickpocketing and that these criminals would target its customers as well as passing members of the public. It was stated that congestion was being used as a cover for the sale of narcotics.

The business said that because of the vendors on the road and pavement, potential customers would avoid the store, causing it to be inconvenienced and lose money.