Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has made it clear that no action will be taken by his government that will deny the Bayfront vendors an opportunity to survive or make a living.
His comments came while addressing a press briefing on Wednesday.
According to him, vendors are ambassadors of Dominica.
“We have all agreed that the Bayfront is unsightly and something needs to be done in the short-term and something needs to be done in the long-term,” he said. “Vending is an important part of the tourism product and they play an important role.”
He continued, “It is an important source of employment for many people and we appreciate them very much, and so no action will be taken by this government that will deny these people an opportunity to survive or make a living.”
Mr. Skerrit further stated that there are a number of actions that his government has taken.
To begin, he indicated that a joint team was set up made up of vendors, Dominica Airport and Seaport Authority (DASPA), and the Ministry of Tourism among others, “to ensure that every action that the government intends to take through the Ministry of Tourism, that the stakeholders are part of it.”
He explained that in the meeting, those involved sought to focus on what needs to be done in the short-term, “and so what we will be doing is that we will be helping the vendors to place all of these tents and structures they have and the government will procure tents that they have [advised] us would be appropriate for them.”
Mr. Skerrit said the Ministry of Tourism believes, based on discussions with stakeholders, it would be appropriate.
“They also agreed that they cannot occupy the entire Bayfront all the way down to the ferry terminal, that a section of the Bayfront will be used, so we will allow the rest of the Bayfront to be used by families who normally come and have an ice cream and sit down and socialize,” he noted.
He went on to state that in the long-term permanent vending structures with the appropriate supporting systems will be built for those vendors.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Skerrit revealed that he offered to provide the vendors with uniforms, “so that they all dress nicely.”
“They will help to design the uniforms…,” he revealed. “They are the first people that the tourists meet and so they must present themselves truly representing Dominica, and what Dominica has to offer.”
He said they will also be provided with some form of mechanism to organize and display their t-shirts, earrings, and other items to be sold.
Between Skerrit and Denise Charles they have made the Barfront into another Roseau Market. That place used to look decent until they decided to put all those vendors with ugly huts and tarpaulin making the bayfront an eyesore in Roseau. Why not put all the vendors in the old Public Works lot at Woodridge bay? Or why not develop the gardens a little and place them intricately at different points in the gardens? or something.
You forgot to mention his dunce Missus. She also contributed heavily to the decline.
In the gardens?
This man, King Liar, is akin to an arsonist who burns down a building then wants to take credit for building back the structure.
Roosevelt’s insincerity and elephantine LIES are blatantly on display at his platform of deception he refers to as a press conference.
No person can honestly deny that Roosevelt and his ornamental, clueless wife were hell-bent on displacing the vendors from the Bay Front without a settled place for them to ply their trade. The loud outcry and the staunch disapproval of concerned citizens temporarily have caused him to change his ill-conceived, evil plan.
Roosevelt and the TRUTH are eternal enemies. Lies and deception are like this man’s pillows.
He won’t do it because they are all DLP voters and lovers of his dimples. It’s appalling when a government has to be inactive in order to keep some of their rogue voters in line. It’s the same thing with the lack of enforcing traffic laws and worse even drug and laws. That the sad state our country finds itself in nowadays. What a crying shame!!!
Why go this alone, why reinvent the wheel? Hasn’t this BEEN done, and efficiently, in other OECS islands who are giants in Caribbean tourism? Are they protecting how they go about this from us, why not ask or consult with them, OECS, CARICOM chairman anyone. Why can’t we learn from their best practices instead of going this alone, ,,again?
Whose misguided idea was it in the first place to have those kiosks on the bay front? And even after public outcry this same administration who placed those kiosks there defended a very poor and distasteful solution…. Where is the accountability? Yet this pm still wants to retain some of the vendors in the bay front in this unsightly disfuncional manner when they should all be removed another solution which is much more fitting and functional to our society should be seeked instead of trying to prove that skerrit is always right!
Yet the institution which is responsible for public safety, which is the planning department is not mentioned….
Uniforms? That’s a joke, right?
The Bay Front is unsightly and vendors should be compelled to sell local products, not mass produced Chinese imports.