Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has assured vendors in the city of Georgetown that street vending will be allowed to continue if the PPP wins a majority in the Georgetown City Council, although he cautioned that there will be changes in the way things are done currently.

Mr. Jagdeo’s comments were made during a press conference yesterday, days after Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton warned vendors not to vote for the People’s Progressive Party, because they will not be allowed to ply their trade once the PPP takes control of Georgetown.

Mr. Jagdeo disasgreed with that notion.

“People will continue to vend on the streets but it has to be done under different conditions. You can’t block people’s store entrance and the conditions there have to improve and the place has to be kept clear,” Mr. Jagdeo said.

Last December the Mayor and City Council and Central Government- through the Public Works Ministry clashed after the Central Government started to remove street vendors from outside the Georgetown Hospital.

Mr. Jagdeo said vending must be done in an organized way.

“The vendors need to understand they will be allowed to continue earning a living—an honest living but your conditions have to improve  that is our position, always has been the position. We have never an extreme position of controlling vending or shutting down vending totally by some store owners, Mr. Jagdeo said.

According to the Vice President,  a PPP-led municipality will  develop markets and vending areas that will be of benefit for both the vendors and persons visiting those area.

“The street vending here has to be done under better condition, we will need massive investments in our markets, we have to improve the management and that is being promised and also the facilities. You go into markets; they have potholes and all sorts of things. You can’t give the money to this City Council here because they will spend it everything else except the markets and improving the conditions,” Mr. Jagdeo said.

Local Government Elections are set to take place on the 12th June.

Related posts:

City Council and Works Ministry clash over removal of street vendors outside GPHC President to meet City Council in January to raise seek solution to plight of city vendors City Council rushes to complete preparation of vendors relocation spot within next 24hrs Vendors protest City Council’s move to discontinue vending on Merriman’s Mall