The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Straw vendors yesterday blamed delays in obtaining approvals from their immediate regulator for preventing them from applying for their annual business license.

Reverend Esther Thompson, president of the Straw Business Persons Society, told Tribune Business that inaction by the Straw Market Authority (SMA) in supplying her members with the necessary approvals was resulting in hold-ups.

Adding that there was no indication as to when these approvals will be forthcoming, she said: “When vendors are trying to apply for their business license, the Business License Department is requesting from them a letter from the SMA.

"Now, in the past, the Straw Market Authority would have said to vendors that you have to register with them in order for them to give you this letter that the business license department is requesting, and they had to pay a $50 fee for this letter from the SMA. However, vendors want to know where will they get $50 from to register with the SMA to get their business licenses?”

Rev Thompson said the SMA has told the business license department not to license any straw vendor unless they are in receipt of the approval letter from the Authority.

Arguing that “this is a problem” for straw vendors, Rev Thompson said she has been trying to contact officials at the SMA but they are not responding to her messages.

She added that she is concerned vendors without licenses will be unable to reopen when the cruise ship industry returns. Rev Thompson said her members will have gone without any business or income for a whole year by March 2021.