CitCo says market solutions are in the pipeline

But according to City Council Market Clerk, Michael Theus, the kinks can be worked out it will take some time. Theus also says the vendors need to abide by the laws and cooperate with authorities to avoid further conflict.  The City council is expected to meet with the vendors in the New Year to discuss new proposals to ease the tension in the market.

Michael Theus, Acting Market Clerk, Belize City Council

Michael Theus

“Today is a market day; we have much more vendors coming out. The problem we are facing is that vendors who have set up their tents for the entire week and refuse to move take up all the space. We are trying to resolve this problem so that each person is allocated with their spot along the way to ease this pressure that we have every time we have market days.  It is work in progress and we are going to solve it but we are asking persons to bear, work along with us, vent their frustrations so we know where the problems are and work it out. But each and every vendor—sorry, some vendors seem to want to wrong and strong the council and we can’t sit by idly and allow that to happen. We need to have a market that is conducive with shopping, peace, tranquility and everything so that persons can come out here and actually enjoy the atmosphere. We are working on it and we’re asking them to work with us. I could just touch base on some of the things that we will be suggesting at a meeting with the vendors. Primarily, what we will be doing is allocating for the retailers, a space for them. Each retailer or wholesaler will be issued with what you call a peddlers license. That is going to come at a cost to them for us to actually allocated that spot to them so that they can come whenever.  As it pertains to within the market, we have rules right now that is going to actually work with these vendors to ensure that the ambience of the market is up kept. When it comes to the wholesalers, we’re working likewise to give them a license. They will have their area to vend. We’re going to legislate likewise for them to have a minimum amount that they can actually sell as a wholesaler because they come out and wholesale and when they can’t sell the rest of their product they start retailing and retailing at a cost less than what the retailers are selling at.”