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FM
Former Member

City Hall CoI hearing

…market clerks seized $400,000 worth in goods

The probe into City Hall’s operations continued on Friday at the Critchlow Labour College on Woolford Avenue, by means of a public hearing during which it was heard that Mayor Patricia Chase Green before taking the substantive post, made “not so good” comments about vendors and their trade.

Mayor Patricia Chase Green

Desrey Dey, a vendor at Bourda Market, whose stall along with 21 others was demolished in September 2015, gave her testimony which included a statement that was made by Chase Green during an encounter.
Under oath, she stated the vendors were told by Town Clerk Royston King that they would have to remove their stalls to make accommodation for works at the Bedford School which is located in close proximity to the market.
Consequently, meetings were held but King did not show up which kept the vendors waiting at City Hall for hours.
A few days later, he instructed that an excavator be taken to the market to shred the stands, causing major destruction.
Dey noted that at that time, the machine pounded on the roofing support of the structure, demolishing the stands and all of the goods the vendors would have bought to sell for the Christmas season. It is estimated that she would have lost close to $300,000 in goods.

Carol Carter during her testimony

“He trashed everything that was in that stall and broke them up. They hit the stands from the top with the bucket [of the excavator] and all the glassware and so break up.”
Furthermore, she was paying a weekly rent of $1400 with an additional cost of $300 on weekdays and $600 on weekends, even though it was her stall.
The aftermath of the incident saw a ‘hostile’ Town Clerk whenever the affected vendors would arrive at the Council to sort out the matter.
“He went on at a rate. I don’t know what happened that day but he was just ranting and raving like a mad bull… he was very aggressive.”
She further stated that when the then Deputy Mayor was engaged, she said to the merchants, “I don’t like vendors and I don’t like vending.”
Additionally, Vice President of the Guyana Market Vendors Union, Carol Carter, made her way to the stand as she testified to an incident at the Stabroek Market in 2016, where her goods valued at $400,000 were taken despite her being a registered stall owner.
The Commission heard that revenue staffers of the Clerk of Markets’ Office stormed her business establishment in front of the market where they took sneakers, shoes and other footwear valued at over $400,000.
“The stalls were covered, they raise up the tarpaulin that cover the stall and take away most of my goods from the stall. They take away most of my goods that I had displayed at the stall that I paid a rent for and up to now I didn’t get back anything,” explained Carter.
Since then, the items haven’t been returned and Carter has suffered the losses and has managed to barely revive the family business.
Testimonies were also made on another incident which involved the removal of her stall after it was recently rebuilt. According to the vendor, she had applied for a spot to operate and was granted permission in 2013.
However, after the spot was regularised and her stall was built in 2016 at the cost of $145,032, the stall was removed and taken away by revenue staff the following day. Another loss was incurred as the stall was not returned to her.
The Vice President of the Guyana Market Vendors Union is of the view that she is being victimised due to the fact that the Council does not recognise the Union.
The Commission is expected to hear more from those who wish to submit their evidence along with Town Clerk Royston King and Mayor Patricia Chase Green.
So far, it was heard that the Town Clerk rented a section of the Route 44 bus park and leased lands to a shipping company which was not owned by the Council but rather by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited.
The inquiry is expected to conclude on October 31, where the necessary recommendations will be submitted after all evidence is presented before the Commission.

 

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ronan posted:

why is it so hard for you to be polite and provide a source?

Sorry I man fo get ..

https://guyanatimesgy.com/i-do...-like-vending-mayor/

on second thought, you asked I be “ polite “.....  to.....” you” ... eh eh ... respect man respect .  

FM
Last edited by Former Member

This is why massive numbers will stay home in 2020 and Jagdeo might well get his sticky fingers on Exxon ca$$$$h.

I expect that these PNC elites have made enough from their dalliances with Jagdeo's rich friends that they don't have to care bout what happens to them after 2020.  They will have enough $$$ and Jagdeo will leave them alone.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
caribny posted:

This is why massive numbers will stay home in 2020 and Jagdeo might well get his sticky fingers on Exxon ca$$$$h.

I expect that these PNC elites have made enough from their dalliances with Jagdeo's rich friends that they don't have to care bout what happens to them after 2020.  They will have enough $$$ and Jagdeo will leave them alone.

Nah! Granger will get 99.999% of the votes come 2020.

FM

Ray, they know their slaves for 28 years at Hope Estate are committed to them. That is how SLAVES are obedient to Massa. Dem ues to tell Bunham to whip both cheeks of their asses and tell him to take the money and go to England to clean his teeth and they will eat dry coconut!!!

Nehru

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