GRTU protests against Valentine’s day ‘tent-sellers’

GRTU members said that they feel very aggravated by the total inaction with regard to the amount of 'occasional sellers' that have set up shop, or rather, tents, in prominent areas. These tents are all there to sell flowers and make the most of Valentine’s Day.

GRTU said that it has been showered by photos showing individuals selling flowers from tents, just next to churches in the main square of localities or other central areas such as roundabouts and main streets.

GRTU has said that this a scenario it had been expecting and during the last months it had stepped up its efforts to warn authorities and try to find a solution to avoid this “yearly farce”.

GRTU has insisted that while authorities have given the impression that they are trying to cooperate due to the intense pressure placed on them, they have also clearly shown an inability to take the necessary action.

“The authorities are caught up in a bureaucratic mess of uncertainty and unclear regulations they themselves have created and in the most passive of approaches, they feebly attempt to fire-fight when the building has already been burnt to the ground,” GRTU said.

“It is clear that these structures set up from the very early hours of yesterday to sell flowers do not hold permits issued by the Commerce Department, the single Department entrusted with issuing trade permits to anyone carrying out an economic activity.”

GRTU added that the department has in fact assisted them in reporting these operators, clearly carrying out an economic activity, to the Police Commissioner for immediate investigation.

“The problem here is that while they don’t not have a trading license, they will most likely have a permit issued by one of the Local Councils.”

GRTU has insisted that these abusive licenses should not be issued by Local Councils, who are bypassing the trading licenses in so doing.

“The only leeway given to the Local Councils is in issuing permits for stalls and kiosks on religious feasts and other special celebrations within the locality. The Local Councils are however extending this abusively and the authorities are turning a blind eye to this practise,” they added.

GRTU has questioned how local councils could be permitted to license trade and whether the police would be well briefed to know what to look for and not accept any kind of permit issued.

“We cannot help but feel the Authorities are simply playing around with time and putting on a show, and not a very good one at that, to appear as if they are addressing GRTU's complaints. A simple clarification in the law is required authorities responsible for licensing trade are also expected not to permit any bypassing through strict enforcement.”

GRTU stressed that this issue that is detrimental to many legitimate businesses in various sectors and not just those that benefit from occasions like Valentine's Day.

“These unlicensed operators also sell food and clothing, among other items, and they often set up right in front of licensed shops.”

GRTU clarified that they were not protesting hawkers licensed by the trade department and those that observe the limitations of the license. The limitations include not occupying a single space constantly but moving a number of times during the day, and observing the distance from shops as stipulated by the law.

GRTU said that another important element in this discussion was that all economic operators today ought to be VAT registered and that they should give out receipts for their purchases.

GRTU has called on the Minister for Small Businesses, Chris Cardona to stop this unfairness.

“This is unfair competition and the Minister must effect the changes that need to be made. This is not a time for the Minister to distance himself from the situation but it is a time for him to stand up for small businesses and top this yearly injustice once and for all.”