Business owners in Port-of-Spain are unsure of the future of their businesses as the nation’s capital city and the rest of the country face a partial shutdown from Sunday at midnight.
On Friday, the Government announced that only essential industries will be allowed to operate for two weeks as the Government took stronger steps to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Charlotte Street was busy yesterday afternoon as people packed stores to buy goods from some businesses that would be closed for the next two weeks.
Will Chang, the owner of a Variety store on Charlotte Stree, is not sure if he has to stay closed or open this week as he also sells pharmaceuticals like a drug store.
“I agree with the decision as it is needed to protect people’s lives. If they confirm today that my business will be closed then obviously it will make a dent in business. I have eight employees to pay. I hope this pandemic passes quickly as I don’t know if this country could afford this,” he said.
Sharon Daniels, who sells vegetables on Charlotte Street, criticised the Port-of-Spain Municipal Corporation for relocating the street side vendors to the Central Market.
She believes that it will create more problems.
“The elderly cannot cross the bus route to go to that market. It is the Charlotte Street vendors who made Charlotte Street what it is. The whole day the customers saying that they will miss us. I will miss them. Nobody wants to go to the Central Market. It’s only bullets across there. Plenty of guns there,” she said.
She urged the Port-of-Spain Mayor to re-think his move and to return them to Charlotte Street in the future.
The manager of a drug store on Charlotte Street, who asked not to be named, said that they fall under the essential businesses category that can open so they will be operating next week.
“We are pharmacy and people will come to get whatever drugs they need plus their CDAP drugs. However, we still are not sure about the future as business might pick up or it may not pick up. It might stay stagnate. It is based on how the suppliers give us what we want. We hope that the Government gives us the help that we need.”
The owner of a Chinese variety store, who also asked not to be named, said the Government can make any decision it wants but it is the businesses that suffer.
“When we close, it is obvious our business will be affected. I have eight employees to pay. But I’ve already worked out what I will do and how I will pay my employees if we remain closed for an extended period.”
The manager of a clothes store on Henry Street said that businesses have rent to pay, employees to pay and other overhead costs and she does not know how her business will survive if they are forced to remain closed for a lengthy period of time.
At the same time, she agrees with the Government’s decision to restrict business to only the essential industries operating.
“We have no other choice and more people will die so the Government is making the right decision. But from a business perspective, we will suffer immensely. I employ 17 persons and that’s 17 families to feed. The Government said that they’ll pay a relief grant of $1,500 to persons who are temporarily unemployed. We need to get more information on that,” she said.
Mayor responds:
Joel Martinez, Mayor of Port-of-Spain, said there was last-minute shopping in Port-of-Spain this weekend as people wanted to buy enough items from supermarkets and stores to keep them comfortable as they are at home.
“In a situation like this people want to make sure they have everything before they are hunkered down. They can’t come out of their homes, so they want to make sure they have everything.”
He drew parallels between the 1990 attempted coup, which he said resulted in the “destruction” of the capital city, and the COVID-19 which is affecting countries internationally.
He believes that Port-of-Spain will bounce back from the partial closure that it now faces.
“We have learned lessons from the other international cities and our Government has done a remarkable job of ensuring that T&T is not put in a category like those other cities. We have recovered in the past and we are a stronger city.”
Responding to Charlotte street vendors being relocated to the Central Market, Martinez said this was done because of the unsanitary conditions of the street.
“We are incorporating them into the market family so that when people want to get products they can go to the Central Market. The problem on Charlotte Street was that we had no control over the crowding and the status of the street in terms of cleanliness with issues like water and toilet facilities. This posed a problem but now with COVID-19 we have to take stringent measures in ensuring the citizens are protected,” he said.