Vendors removed from outside Muneshwer’s Limited

Last Updated on Sunday, 28 January 2024, 15:13 by Denis Chabrol

Municipal workers carting off wooden pallets and other items from the pavement outside Muneshwer’s Limited store, Water Street, Georgetown.

Remaining stalls outside Muneshwer’s Store on Water  Street, Stabroek were Sunday demolished and taken away in keeping with a High Court order that was secured by that company, City Mayor Alfred Mentore said.

” The talks surrounded the agreed extension which went past the 15th January and our planned action by the City’s engineers dept to enforce the Order of Mandamus this (Sunday) morning,” he told Demerara Waves Online News.

Top elected officials of the municipality on Wednesday last met with the remaining vendors to alert them about the intention to remove the stalls, although many of them had already moved out of the area before. “Many vendors had already vacated the area but others that remained were notified of the Administration intended action,” Mr Mentore added.

Muneshwer’s Limited had last year obtained a High Court order commanding the Mayor and City Council to remove the more than 30 vendors who have been selling clothing, food and other items on the pavement and hanging some of their items on the building.

The western side of Muneshwer’s Limited store, Water Street opposite Bounty Supermarket.

However, in mid-November Mayor Mentore, Deputy Mayor Denise Miller and other officials had sealed a temporary understanding to allow the vendors to remain on the pavement until January 15, 2024 to allow them to take advantage of increased earning opportunities during the Christmas-New Year period.

Banks DIH Limited, meanwhile, is the latest city business that has signaled its intention to take legal action similar to that by Muneshwer’s Limited to remove vendors from outside Demico, Stabroek. The company had the weekend said vending there has caused a reduction in sales.

Meanwhile, Head of the Market Vendors Association, Eon ‘Wutusi’ Andrews recently told an opposition A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change and Working People’s Alliance public meeting that vendors needed special consideration. He signaled strongly that the vendors are opposition supporters and should be afforded the opportunity to ply their trade. “You need to treat these vendors in a special way because they are very important. We know who they are loyal to. We know who they will vote for so we have to treat them well,” he said.

Mr Andrews also expressed concern about corrupt practices by unnamed persons in the

Mr Eon ‘Wutusi’ Andrews

municipality whom he described as “parasites” who demand “box money” from vendors. He said the plight of vendors persists regardless of whether the APNU+AFC or the People’s Progressive Party Civic was in central government power. “It seems as though the vendors’ problem always remain irrespective of who is there and we’ll have to correct that,” he said.

He called on City Hall not to put the vendors not to put them under unnecessary pressure or “we are going to lose them.” Mr Andrews said if the vendors opted to resist pressures he would be there with them.

Mr Andrews estimates that there are 4,997 stallholders and 2,500 itinerant vendors in Georgetown.