‘Withdraw notices to Chaguanas market vendors’

ATTORNEYS acting on behalf of the Chaguanas Market Vendors Association are accusing the Chaguanas Borough Corporation (CBC) of issuing unlawful notices about illegal vending at the market. Attorneys Sunil Seecharan and Rick G Ramparas wrote to the corporation’s CEO Raymond Seepaul on Monday. They are asking for him, and by extension the corporation, to rescind the notices in writing and declare them null and void.

“This notice is erroneous and misleading as most of our clients have been selling at the market for the past 16 years on areas which were pointed out to them by your representatives,” the letter said.

The two-page letter was delivered to the CEO on Monday afternoon.

Seecharan and Ramparas said all their clients pay the daily vending charge to the CBC’s office and so the corporation has the necessary receipts.

The notice also says the vendors should visit the office to pay for available stalls.

“However, as you are aware, one of the major problems at the market is the availability of stalls in relation to the number of vendors selling at the market and no available stall exist,” the attorneys said.

For the past two weeks or thereabouts, the attorneys said, CBC’s officials had neglected or refused to collect the daily charge from the vendors. Yet they continuously molested, harassed, abused and even threatened vendors with eviction.

The attorneys contend there were no consultations with the vendors or any other relevant stakeholders before the corporation issued the notices.