Street vending may disappear in the foreseeable future as the government considers new regulations aimed at leading street vendors to do business inside municipal markets.
The government revealed its aforementioned plans to the First Standing Committee during a discussion last week regarding the recently passed law on municipal market management.
Though the municipal market law does not concern street vending, lawmakers still raised questions about the topic.
Ho Ion Sang, chairman of the committee, cited the government and explained that, in the future, street vendors may pay slightly higher fees to the government for vending merchandise inside a municipal market.
“This year’s license fee for street vending is waived. In the future, however, street vendors may pay a bit more after entering a building because the municipal market provides security services, cleaning services, and air conditioning. The increased amount will not be too much. How much it will be, the government will disclose to the committee in the next meeting,” Ho said.
Currently, there are 18 street vending locations in the city in addition to nine municipal markets that accommodate over 1,000 stalls.
Under law No. 319/2016, vendors selling general merchandise, such as crafts and related products, are required to pay an annual license fee ranging from 1,000 patacas to 1,600 patacas depending on the space occupied. This fee may go up to 2,000 to 2,600 patacas if vendors need the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) to provide equipment for the stalls. Craftsmen, used item recyclers, and other vendors pay 350 patacas. All the aforementioned fees are discounted 60% for vendors at Taipa and Coloane.
License fees for mobile and immobile vendors vary. The most expensive immobile vending spot is at Ha Sa Beach, costing 3,000 patacas. The annual license fee for movable vendors is 5,000 patacas.
In 2018, the government conducted a public consultation on an amendment of regulations regarding street vending.
Ho said that the government currently has no timetable regarding setting up the new street vending regulations.
At present, the local government intends to continue implementing current street vending rules and regulations before new guidelines are prescribed.
The First Standing Committee has also demanded that the government explain the municipal market CCTV surveillance camera plan, license fees and rents for each stalls, and provide statistics on the ages of the operators of municipal market stalls.
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