The Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) is expected to shortly begin the enforcement of regulations on street selling in central Monrovia.
The exercise is aimed at organizing petty traders and street vendors across the city with an Overarching goal of maintaining street orderliness including promoting public safety, enhancing hygiene conditions of the environment, and improving the overall quality of life for residents and visitors.
According to a release from the MCC, the initiative is designed to create a cleaner and more orderly urban space while promoting the unhindered movement of pedestrians and vehicles to preserve the city’s integrity and ensure that street vending operates harmoniously within the urban landscape.
A special Task Force from the city corporation will be dispatched across the city to Clear Monrovia of street selling activities in prohibited areas, ensure that store owners keep their goods inside their stores, while also creating awareness about the city ordinances and the MUNICIPAL STREET SELLING REGULATIONS.
The release quotes the Mayor of the Monrovia City Corporation, Hon. John-Charuk Siafa, as saying: This exercise will run for several weeks, and it will also ensure the removal of makeshift stalls along the streets of Monrovia.”
The MCC has placed violators in the following categories: Vendors with No Valid Street selling Permit, vendors Blocking Pedestrian Pathways, Vendors involved in Health/Sanitation Violations, vendors Selling Prohibited Goods as well as vendors Operating in Restricted Areas, and those attempting to refuse Compliance with Inspection exercise.
Task force members will visit designated vending zones to: Conduct spot checks on cleanliness, spacing, and stall setup. Verify that vendors have permits and are not selling prohibited items or engaging in restricted activities.
Vendors are prohibited from operating within specified restricted areas to prevent congestion and conflicts with formal businesses. Examples include areas near government buildings, hospitals, embassies, and schools.
These regulations are part of the city’s broader efforts to enforce City Ordinance No. 1, Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10, and City Ordinance No. 3, Section 3, which mandate the MCC to maintain cleanliness and regulate street vending activities.
To accommodate petty traders, the MCC, through its Department of City Beautiful and Engineering Services, conducted a survey that indicates that there are about 2000 free spaces spread over 5 markets, and it is in this regard that the City government is calling on marketers to move into the earmarked market facilities.
The MCC is urging the full cooperation of the petty traders and street vendors, stressing that violators will be fined by the city ordinances and the MUNICIPAL STREET SELLING REGULATIONS.
Meanwhile, the Monrovia City Corporation is urging residents and businesses to refrain from paying municipal taxes to people on the side and make use of the One-Stop Shop center that has been established at the city hall to guarantee legitimate, convenient, and faster transactions.
