City Council issues removal notices to vendors outside GPHC

Following a letter from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) threatening legal action, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) have served vendors outside the hospital with notices to vacate.

According to acting Town Clerk Candace Nelson, the notices required the vendors operating within Middle, East, Lamaha, Thomas, and New Market Streets to remove their structures by today (Saturday).

“We gave notices to those vendors, informing them about the potential ligation of them being in the area, and we asked them to remove whatever structures they have in that area,” Nelson told MTV News Update when contacted on Friday.

When asked about the Council’s plan if the vendors do not comply, Nelson stated that efforts would be made to clear the area. However, she noted that at least one vendor has expressed an intention to comply with the directive.

Regarding the relocation of the vendors to alternative spaces, Nelson confirmed that no plans have been put in place for such a move at this time.

On Tuesday, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation—the country’s main public health institution—through its attorney-at-law, Sase Gunraj, demanded that the Council remove the vendors from the hospital’s vicinity within the next seven days or face legal action.

The move followed several High Court rulings, which instructed the Council to remove vendors from the entrances and outskirts of a number of city businesses.

In December 2022, the Ministry of Public Works issued notices to vendors occupying spaces near the hospital, especially those along New Market Street between Thomas and East Streets.

The notices were followed by removal, which was met with strong protests by vendors, including then-Mayor Ubraj Narine. The vendors were removed but returned to the location days later.