Clean up or face consequences – G/Town Mayor warns Stabroek vendors

Wooden pallets lining the streets around Stabroek Market are on their way out and vendors have been put on notice to clean up or face consequences as Georgetown Mayor Alfred Mentore met with vendors at the market on Thursday.

This engagement forms part of efforts to make the city more appealing for vendors and consumers alike. Mentore said the pallets currently used by vendors have become a serious problem. He further added that the pallets have also become an eyesore when left packed up at the road corners.

“The pallets itself has been causing tremendous harm, breeding a lot of rodents,” he said.

For this reason, in the coming weeks, the city will begin removing them and work out what alternatives can replace them. At this time, the City Council is considering the use of tables or some kind of fabrication to improve the look of the market.

Beyond the infrastructure, Mentore called on vendors to take greater responsibility for waste disposal. He urged them to use the bins provided by the Ministry of Local Government.

“We need to be more responsible with our garbage, we got to be more responsible with how we place those garbage, not dump but [put them] in the bins provided,” he said.

He said the place is not as clean as it was expected to be after the new bins were provided by the ministry which has been working assiduously to improve the market’s appearance.

Mentore made it clear there will be consequences for those who choose to litter. Vendors who fail to dispose of garbage properly will lose the right to sell at the market and will face littering penalties.

He said these persons, if caught, could be prosecuted and based on a joint effort between the Guyana Police Force and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to tackle littering across the country, persons found improperly disposing of waste could face fines of up to $50,000.

As such, the City Constabulary has been tasked with enforcement and will be keeping watch for violations.

“We value the business of vending and we value the economic opportunities that vending provides for you our city residents and other residents outside of the city,” Mentore said.