-Vows To Protect Street Vendors
It was a scene of excitement and total cheerfulness when the youthful and visionary Mayor of Monrovia, Jefferson Tamba Koijee and scores of petty traders and others paraded Monrovia broad street to ensure total commitment to petty traders in the territorial confines of the city.
The energetic Mayor just returned to the country two days ago from the United Kingdom where he was elected the 2nd Mayor of Africa at the Global Parliament of Mayors Conference. But the love for his people couldn’t allow him to rest after travelling on that long distance as he joined the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) and Petty Traders collaborative taskforce to parade on the principal streets of Monrovia.
The move is to showcase the preparedness of the Monrovia City Corporation in ensuring that petty traders organized themselves in an appropriate manner in partnering with the municipal government to maintain the sanctity of the city.
It can be recalled the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) this year signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federation of Petty Traders and the Informal Workers’ Union of Liberia (FEPTIWUL).
The MOU among others things is to ensure that petty traders are restricted to certain areas in the city when making their business transactions, train 25 FEPTIWUL in solid wastes management, train astute members of the organization to work as taskforce along with the MCC police in keeping the city clean.
The first phase of the MOU will last for three months. Within the three months period, the officials of FEPTIWUL will be provided an office space to register their members from October 15 to December 15, 2018. According to the city ordinance of Monrovia, every petty trader needs to register US$20.00 before selling.
Beginning November 1, 2018, only scratch card sellers, money exchangers, electronic material sellers, boutique operators will be allowed to sell on Broad street and will be a maiden part for three months before moving into other areas beginning December 31, 2018.
Addressing Journalists following the parade, Mayor Koijee said the city government is not interested in violently removing the street vendors as being insinuated.
He however said the municipal government is contemplating on restricting street vendors to strategy locations where they will sell their goods safely to support their families.
“Until the government of Liberia can find suitable place for the street vendors, the MCC is not thinking about removing harmless citizens who are struggling to make their daily breads. We will not beat on our harmless,” he said.
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