Hawkers at Il-Monti are not pleased with a proposal to have uniform stalls for open-air markets but the Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Land, Jason Azzopardi, is insisting this is necessary to ensure a neat environment.
The hawkers expressed their disapproval of the proposal during the first in a series of consultation meetings Dr Azzopardi is holding for all 1,600 Monti hawkers on the proposals published in a White Paper in July about the reorganisation of open-air markets.
The White Paper suggests ways of achieving “better organisation in the best interest of sellers, consumers and people residing in the neighbouring areas”.
At the first meeting, Dr Azzopardi insisted it was not true that market vendors would be obliged to wear a uniform or that they would all be moved to a site in Ħal Far.
Vendors thought they would have to wear uniforms because the paper stipulates a uniform reorganisation.
He said there had to be more “dignity” at the open-air markets and the White Paper’s aim was to ensure a more effective and uniform organisation. This included cleanliness, safety, security and accessibility.
A unit within the Department of Commerce would be set up specifically to deal with open market hawkers.
The government was proposing the transfer of direct administration of open markets to local councils and aimed at implementing an EU services directive that stipulates that there should be an equal playing field for market operators. Dr Azzopardi met local council executive secretaries last week about the matter.
During the consultative meeting with hawkers, Dr Azzopardi discussed the White Paper’s main points and welcomed feedback from the hawkers themselves. He asked for suggestions based on the vendors’ own experience to address loopholes in the law.
During a discussion on the stalls, Dr Azzopardi said the government might provide uniform stalls and tents at an affordable price. These could be paid over a period of time.
The proposal did not go down well with some of the hawkers present, who insisted that different merchandise required different-structured stalls.
Dr Azzopardi reiterated that, although uniform, there could be a variety of stalls. The location, size and appearance of the stalls also needed to be improved and market hawkers should be insured, Dr Azzopardi said.
A pitch fee would also be introduced to give value to the land onto which the stalls were set up. This would cover the local council’s expenses including cleanliness and maintenance of the place.
There were 14 open-air markets in Malta and Gozo, five of which were not yet regularised, with 1,669 stall places. Future open market stall places could be awarded by tender instead of by ballot, Dr Azzopardi explained.
The White Paper also proposed that the person substituting a hawker unable to make it to work does not have to be a family member but could be a trusted person.
whitepaper.swieq@gov.mt