New community plazas to support more ‘orderly’ vending – President

President Dr. Irfaan Ali has announced that his government will soon establish plazas to support more organised vending, as part of efforts to curb illegal vending on roadsides.

“Let me be clear: We have to build a more orderly system of growth and development. We can’t have hundreds of shops on the main public road,” the President stressed as he addressed the opening ceremony for Demerara Bank’s new Beterverwagting branch.

To establish this orderly system, Dr. Ali said plazas with food courts and necessary amenities will be constructed in communities along the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara. Those spaces, he vowed, will be clean, safe, and enjoyable.

In recent weeks, the Ministry of Public Works has moved to crack down on roadside vending, which has been obstructing traffic and encroaching on pedestrian walkways. Removals have already begun in some areas, while other vendors have been issued notices to vacate.

The President did not provide a definite timeline for the construction of these plazas, but said the new Guyana Development Bank and commercial banks will support the venture.