MINISTER within the Local Government and Regional Development (LGRD) Ministry, Mr. Norman Whittaker has declared that illegal vending across the country is, indeed, a major issue and the ministry has been focusing on it for some time now.

At a recent media briefing, he pointed out that persons engaged in the practice at roadsides are not doing so under proper sanitary and healthy conditions.
He underscored that most of these vendors sell consumer items and, as such, they are required to do so in a proper sanitary facility.
The minister said the ministry has moved to establish either a tarmac or a market place in every neighbourhood for the convenience of these sellers, who also impede the flow of traffic.
He said one would observe that, in the areas where they vend, the location is plagued by garbage and blocked drains and he is urging them to remove from the street corners and relocate to the facilities constructed for them.
Additionally, the minister remarked that roadside selling also allows for the penetration of criminal elements in some areas.
He reiterated that the tarmacs and other facilities provided in the neighbourhoods are there for persons to sell in an orderly manner and he noted the recent acquisitions by those at Corriverton, Berbice and Timehri, East Bank of Demerara, who were relocated to the extended facilities constructed for their uses.
Whittaker said those sellers were able to move off the road and will now vend in an orderly manner.
Earlier this year, he had indicated that the Government has invested millions of dollars to construct tarmacs throughout Guyana, in places including Pouderoyen, West Bank of Demerara, Enmore and Lusignan on the East Coast of Demerara.
Whittaker said the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) responsible for those areas are being engaged and officials will soon be moving to relocate vendors there to places where they will be less of a nuisance to the general public.