Small businesses in Parika stymied due to COVID-19, elections

…ask that Police be more lenient

As Guyana continues to battle with the novel coronavirus compounded with the delayed elections results, many small businesses at Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), are struggling to survive.
Guyana Times visited the area on Thursday, when the businessmen and women decried the present economic crises in Guyana owing to the present situation.
The public ordinance with respect to COVID-19 states that only “essential businesses” are allowed to operate but according to them, this has made it harder on them to make ends meet.

“It’s going to two months and my small clothing boutique is closed since the police saying that we can’t open due to the virus. What the Government expect us to do? I have rent to pay, the owner of the building we are renting from said he would not reduce the rent, how will we survive if we have to close? I don’t see the reason the police giving us such a hard time,” one businessman stated.
Another small business owner that operates inside of the Bollywood Mall expressed her frustration of not being able to open since her two employees are affected by the hardship.
“I have two sales girls working for me and since April they are out of work and suffering. I could not give them employment, what are they supposed to do now. They complaining that they are finding it very hard to survive as they have no other source of income. The Parika police come and tell us that we have to close and since then we couldn’t open back. I am frustrated over the situation,” another businesswoman asserted.
Shifting on the fact that many “non-essential” businesses in the capital city are still opened, a barber related that the police would usually come and order him close before the 17:00h curfew time although he has to take care of a family.
“All over the country open and doing business and abiding by the curfew measures and it seems that Parika is different from the rest of Guyana. If you pass on the West Coast all of the big stores open, it is only the small businesses in Parika they forcing to close. If you asking us to close, everyone should do the same; not just a few. I am fed up of the police coming here and harassing us to close my barbershop, what they expect us to do….do they want us to go and thief to survive?” he noted.
When contacted, Police Commander/Assistant Police Commissioner, Simon McBean explained that the ranks are carrying out their duties in ensuring that only essential businesses are opened.
“Onto this morning I had a talk with one of those businessmen in Vreed-en-Hoop and if I know that they are not required to be opened and is opened, we will ensure they are closed,” the Regional Commander asserted.