Pres. Ali announces a better vending plan for Better Hope vendors

March 24 2026

The move by the Ministry of Public Works and by extension the Government of Guyana to remove vendors from the Better Hope Public Road Government Reserve is being done to make way for a better vending facility for them and other, not necessarily at the exact spot but along spaces throughout the East Coast Corridor.

Added to that, the vendors will be able to access support from the Government’s Developmental Bank which is set to cone on stream later this year.

“We have to build a more orderly system of growth and development. We can’t have hundreds of shops on the main public road,” President Irfaan Ali noted as he addressed the opening of Demerara Bank at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara.

Last week, the vendors received notices instructing them of a seven days ultimatum to remove all stalls from the area. It should be noted that the vendors have been vending along the roadway without official permission from the Ministry of Public Works.

Ali said the removal of the vendors form part of a broader national plan to bring structure and order to the country’s rapid development, stressing that unregulated vending along public roadways cannot continue.

He also took a swipe at those who have been bandwagoning the issue of illegal vending and occupancy of public spaces.

According to President Ali, the move is not and should not be viewed as one which is aimed at eliminating livelihoods but to transition vendors into safer and more suitable environments.

He announced plans to develop designated commercial hubs, including open plazas and food courts, across the East Coast and Bank of Demerara alone with other parts of the country.

The Guyana Development Bank will play a key role in identifying appropriate locations for these developments, focusing on areas that are safe, accessible, and attractive to both locals and visitors.