President David Granger on Sunday joined vendors, businesses proprietors and last-minute shoppers in the Stabroek Market and its environs for a walkabout and ‘meet and greet’ exercise to enjoy the traditional hustle and bustle of Christmas Eve in Guyana.
According to a statement from the Ministry of the Presidency (MOTP), the Head of State walked from Parliament Buildings to the market, greeting shoppers and vendors inside and outside of the commercial centre.
Apart from talking to persons about his Christmas plans, President Granger cashed in on some bargains and made a few purchases along the way.
Asked what his greatest Christmas wish is, the President replied, “I want to be in the bosom of my family. That is very important to me. I would like to see peace and goodwill to all men. That is what I want,” he is quoted as saying.
During the walkabout, several of the vendors raised a few concerns, which the President has committed to addressing with the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) of Georgetown in the best interest of all stakeholders.
“We have to sit down with City Council and decide how we can be more equitable… When I went to City Hall I said vending is a legitimate economic activity and we want to ensure that we provide the greatest happiness for the greatest number. That is what we want to do. I am not stamping out vending and I do not want to push them to the margins either. We will meet with the vendors because the vendors have concerns. This is not a picnic. It is not an excursion. We will meet with the vendors again and the City Council to see how best the vendors can do their work,” he said, according to the MOTP.
See more photos of President David Granger during his walkabout:
