As couples rushed to buy gifts for Valentine’s Day on Wednesday, florists complained of losses as high as 40 per cent, blaming unregulated street vendors for it.

Despite efforts by the GRTU – Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises, which has been striving for over three years to close what it terms a “loophole”, unregulated street vendors abound.

GRTU chief executive Abigail Mamo said the issue had escalated to the point that it seemed the vendors were “organising themselves”, with stalls bearing similar signage despite the sellers being different.

“Some people have asked us whether they have finally been regulated, because they saw similar signs all over the island. But it’s not the case and it’s merely the vendors organising themselves around the loophole,” she noted.

Ms Mamo said GRTU members had again complained about having to compete with vendors selling goods on roadsides. The GRTU had held countless meetings with both the Economy and Justice Ministries, but still no progress had been made.

While the Economy Ministry was responsible for the trade department, it was the Justice and Local Government Ministry that issued permits to vendors. As a result, the Economy Ministry had insisted it should be the Justice Ministry that regulated street vendors, she continued.

“We keep having meetings and going back and forth between the different ministries. We have even proposed changes to the local councils’ law but to no avail.

“Every year, the number of stalls on the side of the road continues to increase, and this costs our members about 40 per cent of their sales,” Ms Mamo said.

According to the GRTU, street vendors get their permits to set up stalls from the local councils, but these permits only apply to village feasts.

Ms Mamo argued it was ironic that while the authorities were implementing measures to make roads safer, drivers stopping to make purchases from the stands at busy junctions were getting away with parking illegally.

“A number of measures have recently been introduced to make roads safer, still, nothing is done to address this issue. Some vendors set up stalls in very dangerous areas, with drivers who stop to buy endangering their own lives and those of others,” she noted. Ms Mamo feels there is little political will to find a solution, however she promises that the GRTU will keep on pushing for the matter to be addressed.