PLC makes move to stop illegal 7MB traders
(CNS): The Public Lands Commission (PLC) Inspectorate is investigating the rise in the number of people engaging in commercial activities on public beaches and has issued a cease and desist notice. PLC Chief Inspector Winsome Prendergast said a new permit application process is in the works, but in the meantime, only pre-approved vendors can operate, especially on Seven Mile Public Beach, and that must be from the kiosks, even though traders have said the wooden huts are not fit for purpose.
“We are aware that there are some pre-approved persons who have pending applications or have conditional approval based on having a valid trade and business licence,” Prendergast said in a press release from the PLC Thursday. “These vendors are to operate only from the designated kiosks at the Seven Mile Public Beach. We will provide the public with an update of the newly designed vendor permit application process following receipt of Cabinet’s policy directive on beach vending.”
Last year government committed to addressing the increasing problem of people trading, especially on Seven Mile Beach, without the required legal permits or trade and business licences. Premier Wayne Panton said it was a mistake to have allowed the irregular trading to restart after the borders reopened as the situation has become worse.
“It’s a challenge that cannot be ignored,” he said, noting that concerns were raised when he was commerce minister in the 2013-2017 PPM administration and he had begun investigating to find out the authorising entity under which people were doing business on the Seven Mile Public Beach. But with no oversight on the situation for several years, the situation has become chaotic and intensely over-crowded.
However, the warning about plans to regulate and remove some vendors has created concerns that some Caymanians who were previously excluded from the benefits of tourism but had found a way to take part will now be prevented from earning a living because they are unable to comply with the rules. Nevertheless, vendors who are playing by the rules say it is unfair to them that people are able to trade alongside them without meeting the same obligations.
The PLC is now pointing out that it is a criminal offence for people to conduct commercial activities on crown land without a vendor permit issued by that commission and has issued a blanket cease and desist order to all illegal vendors.
Prendergast said anyone found vending from crown properties without a valid permit is in breach of the Public Lands Act and the regulations. “Such persons are to immediately cease and desist from this criminal undertaking and have until 1 February 2023 to do so or face prosecution and the confiscation of goods and materials used in the commission of this offence,” she added.
The PLC Inspectorate enforces the law as set out in the Public Lands Act (2020 Revision) and the Public Lands Regulations, 2021. The core role of the enforcement arm of the Public Lands Commission relates to the application, regulation and protection of government property and Crown lands.
Anyone with information about traders operating on crown land or parcels registered as Public Land can call the inspectorate at (345) 946-7110 or email plcinspectorate@gov.ky
- Fascinated
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- Afraid
DCI enforcement needs to be checking for trade and business licenses and, if not licensed, issuing administrative fines and criminally charging unlicensed traders.
There are so many people engaged in unlicensed trade. It’s everywhere. FATF needs to look into this before taking Cayman off the grey-list.
🤣
Following was part of CNS report on 19th of July, 2019, for Seven Mile Public Beach:
This third and final phase of the project will focus on upgrades to the parking areas, officials said, including the addition of designated food vendor parking spots. It also includes adding new walking paths around the children’s playground, improvements to the volleyball courts, and the construction of a restroom block.
Public Lands Commission Chief Inspector Winsome Prendergast said this new area will allow the commission to better manage commercial activity on public beach.
“The redevelopment of the Seven Mile Beach Park will better facilitate public use of the beach for recreational purposes as intended,” she said. “All approved vendors will, where practical, be relocated and restricted to the purpose-built Vendor Village designated area or the car park, to the benefit of beach goers.”
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Comment: The neglected and decaying “vendor village” kiosks were a bad concept even if they had been larger and better designed/specified. This blight calls for immediate removal, not to be replaced or relocated on any Crown land ever.
In 2019 the plan recognized that commercial activities, regardless if licensed or not, should be only in eastern areas, away from shoreline. To help keep the beach and car park areas attractive and clean should confine commercial activities to be east of the car park area; prohibit leaving any goods, vehicles, trailers, or other property overnight (with nightly removal/confiscation of any such property found); and limit daily total ship passenger capacity (e.g. no ship passengers on Caymanian holidays, Saturdays, and Sundays; and suggest maximum 8k should be enough ship passengers on non-holiday Mondays through Fridays).
It’s been bloody awful and there was a report of at least 1 tour bus parked at Governors Beach yesyerday, so the cruise ship tourists are migrating thanks to the tour companies.
I met up with some tourists last year who had previously visited Jamaica and other islands. They said one of the main reasons for returning to Cayman as opposed to other islands particularly Jamaica is because they were able to come here and not be harassed by higglers and they can roam Cayman streets with no issues. They could not do that in Jamaica. Again harassing tourists on the beach is not Cayman’s culture. Just saying!
Guessing you haven’t gone to Public Beach the past year. Visitor’s who are actually at the beach experience ‘Cayman Culture’ firsthand, not someone who ‘types’ a wish on a computer. The reality is… A ‘Cayman Culture’ experience is being harassed at the beach. And stop blaming others for what CAYMANIAN Ministers encourage to happen in Cayman.
Caymanian minister in charge, is an uneducated unemployable whose past is tainted with the lowest form of criminal activity. Yet we expect him to bring vision and management experience to guide the multimillion dollar business of tourism for Cayman.
Get used to that fact, and realize he is only there to feather his own nest at the expense of our tourism future.
Yes, Public beach is currently a mess and anyone who has not been there recently is reporting fantasy.
But hey, West Bayer’s will defend, and elect …’anything.’
You can thumbs down this because you don’t like what it’s says about us- but it doesn’t stop it being true. And if we really care about what visitors think Cayman is about, we would do something about it. And then you ask yourself why exactly is it out elected officials do nothing to stop it?
Too many work pert holders being allowed to bring their culture and mingle and mix. How people here on permit can get trades and business licenses?
Hey, if you allow them to come and do work YOU are not willing to do, you need to accept that they will bring their culture, and obviously will mingle and mix. They are not your slaves! Your comment is repulsive and a disgrace.
Wasn’t part of our culture 10 years ago. There were zero higglers on public beach. And people respected the booking system for the cabanas. Now… So ask yourself what has changed. It’s not the culture. It’s the number of expats we have from an island where higgling is the norm coupled with a complete failure of the authorities to do anything about it ( which to be fair not enforcing our rules IS part of our culture!).
So you’re implying no Caymanians are higgling?
That was 5:58’s implication, and it is patently false; but the knew that.
Caymanians stop following Jamaicans harassing people, that is not Cayman Culture.
Act decent and attract customers.
Caymanians, stop harassing people. Act in the manner you lecture everyone else to act.
Unfortunately that is changing fast. The “Caymanians” I grew up with were always polite, hardworking, honest tidy and kind, that was our culture. We didn’t have much wealth but always had good manners and good common sense. Sad to say that too is changing. Having to compete with the loud mouths, ragamuffins being imported now has changed some of us. They destroyed their country and they are now hell-bent on destroying ours.
3:56pm
Well said. Government must find a way to rid these islands of those unwanted guest from back a yard. They have come here to kill, conquer and destroy.
Both 3:56 and 2:55 have missed the point. Caymanians are not what they used to be. STOP blaming everyone else for your lost ethics. Your current morals are YOUR CURRENT MORALS! You elect idiots and blame others for their failures. Take responsibility for what you have done to your territory!
The failure of numerous government agencies to enforce the law in the face of such blatant and open illegality is inexcusable. It is as if WORC, DCI, the RCIP, and the Departments of Labour and Pensions are complicit. Where is the accountability?
Jamaicans are killing cayman
Victim mentality and entitlement undefeated
Filipinos Hondurans Canadians and Dominicans are killing it too what’s your point ? They need to go home also and stop this insidious take over of these islands.
You mean the people that actually do a good job doing the bad jobs that you feel are beneath you.
That’s So Cayman
#Truth!
“Lions and tigers and bears.. Oh my!”
You might at least say these people are working for their money. Our civil servants and politicians sit on their backsides collecting large salaries,with annual increases and cost of living adjustments plus free medical for life along with their dependents, and do precious little.
No argument there 1:53pm but the truth about who is really hemorrhaging Cayman needs to be told and not blame on one group of people when it’s clear we are in fact all complicit in this situation. Our self-serving and greedy political class are idiots and criminals nowadays.
Not all civil servants do that. Some work very hard but they are the ones who do not get any recognition. It depends on who you kiss up to.
So true! Sometimes I wonder why I educated mine, taught them work ethics and then they become the work dogs. I keep telling them to do what the others are doing- take the easy street- but I guess I taught them too well. Wish I knew then what I know now.
And with that thinking, you are now part of the problem.
All of these illegal street vendors need to be removed, period! They are even setting up Spotts Straight. I see one guy with a truck and an umbrella almost every day selling sugar cane etc. Don’t tell me that the police cannot remove him! That stretch of road is a known speedway that should have constant police patrols anyway. Any vendor parked on the road shoulder there is creating an accident waiting to happen and it will be the government’s fault. At least the other eyesore of a vendor space by the Spotts Dock has a wider space where purchasers can pull of a bit more safe but they all need to get off the road shoulders. PACT should expand the market near the cricket field and let them go there. The complaint I hear is that it is too expensive. Well fix the place for smaller, more affordable stalls! These islands are ruined!
I see the guy parked there in Spotts too. He left for awhile but is back there again. How he parks is blocking the view for cars to safely come out of Poindexter and Cascades and that is not ok. Everybody has to live and it is good that he is trying to make an honest dollar but putting other people’s safety at risk should not be allowed. I know that some people have called the police and complained but nothing is done. Cayman has become a lawless land.
Reading this news story and comments makes me sick. What is so difficult about rounding up all of these illegal vendors, Caymanians, Jamaicans or whomever and ban them from our beaches? Honestly, I don’t recognize our islands anymore. It is disgusting to observe.
Jamaicans, yes. Caymanians, no.
We deserve a living.
So you basically said that Caymanians should be allowed to break the law. Hmnnn.
look at all the workers on the construction site who have permits for everything but construction. right there by public beach, how about rounding them all up?
People hustling to live.
Minimum wage of CI$4.50/hr can’t fill your car after working ALL DAY!!
Yet they gave themselves a massive Pay Raise days after the election.
Shameeee
Minimum wage is $6 not $4.50. Still too low but we all should know the correct amount and any employer only paying $4.50 is breaking the law. Report them!
It’s $4.50 in the hospitality industry.
Sub-standard Jamaicans (yes, I said it) have ruined Cayman because of McKeeva’s status give-aways in 2003. So, essentially it’s McKeeva’s fault – like so many other things wrong with Cayman now. McKeeva finished what Jim Bodden started, EXCEPT Jim hated Jamaicans. So, even under Jim Bodden we would not have been flooded with them.
And I say sub-standard because when I was growing up, my family had close Jamaican ties, great people like the Karl Rattray, Leslie Gabay, John Williams families, and other outstanding Jamaican families. I know a lot of Caymanian families who had similar ties
Today, we are swamped and taken over largely by Jamaicans who are not even wanted in their own country. Sub-standard Jamaicans!
Me asks if you would define a ‘sub-standard’ Caymanian…? Just thinking you may be willing to admit you are an equal- status racist. Yea, I thought not. Maybe look in the mirror at the sub-standard Caymanians who elect Ministers that could not be electable in Jamaica. Oh snap!
@9:35am I agree with you but must add that McKeeva was not alone in that wrong doing that was nothing short of a betrayal of Caymanians. He and his whole ExCo/Cabinet at the time (2003 I believe) you can research and find all the names of those sell outs. Everyone needs to familiarize yourselves with all of them who committed that atrocity against us Caymanians! The same Gilbert who is highlighted in a very recent news story here on CNS was one of them and so was his buddy Roy. And let us not forget the very senior civil servants at that time. George and Jimmy were said to have lists of names to add that were longer than the politicians! Understand that I am not defending McKeeva, I am not his fan, but it needs to be said that if the others had not joined forces with him he could not have succeeded. They are all guilty and responsible for what was done then, which enabled the destruction we see happening to these islands today. And guess what? The scum that they cemented here continues to bring their kin and it will only get worse.
9:35 You summed it up perfectly! No more to add.
I heard that a female investigation officer was put into tourist like clothing and asked the walk the beach and collect evidence. She was there less than 15 minutes and Jamaican on a permit for construction approached her for sexual favors and to sell singles. Keep up the adequate work WORC.
That of course would have been perfectly acceptable behavior if the investigator was approached by a generational Caymanian with a business license… No violation with WORC, tourist harassment perfectly legal
@1:01 No it would not be acceptable behaviour and if such a fool is caught they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. You need not be defensive here because this is one generational Caymanian who does not support wrong doings of my own people. They know better. However, when we have guest workers who dare to break our laws and behave in such a fashion they must be dealt with.
What do you expect WORC to do if you have Caymanian business owners applying for permits of convenience yet providing contracts signed by “clients”? Taking out permits is a money making business but WORC can only do so much. The business owners who are submitting fraudulent documents need to be held accountable.
Is this construction person working on the new project right by the public beach? Hell they park all their old cars and trucks in the beach parking all day without any repercussions. Heard they threaten the tenants in Trafagler Square when asked to move their cars so customers can park. Where are the police?
You forget the police are their people? They will do nothing!
Nothing will be done as those are special projects for our islands benefit!
I heard that what you stated was garbage, made up to support an opinion, and you have no ability to construct a legible sentence… Keep up the adequate rumors. Now, back to reality.
Looks PLC felt left out and decided to do their own version of a RCIP Christmas crackdown 🤷🏻♀️
now cruise passengers are using governor’s beach. thought this was off limits for them?
I tried a walk on the beach past public beach last weekend and there were about 397 1/2 beach chairs right down by the waters edge so i had to walk in the sea to get past. This is truly disgusting what is happening there. And none of the people selling stuff were Caymanian.
Call your elected Minister. You voted for him/her! Ya get what ya voted for, how is that working out. Lovely front door.
This is evidence of a huge problem in our country, namely the lack of enforcement of rules/laws. We have way too many that are flouted every day.
p.s. the article says kiosks not cabanas.
All the best PLC. Next how about a fee for water sport operators using public docks?
Love the dock fee idea.
Public docks are left to fall apart while being overrun by dive operators during weather events making the parking area and docks unaccessible
You might be amazed to find out that the dive operators do pitch in money to fix the docks, and they have fixed them themselves. If it wasn’t for the dive operators, the docks wouldn’t be fixed for months after a storm goes through.
Exactly! West Bay dock is falling apart again. And the Morgan harbor dock is unusable. Destroyed!!
Arrest these vagrants and impound their garbage until a trial concludes.
Catamaran too?
Trial?
You rich people make me sick. Us poor working class are only trying to keep our heads above water but all you imports with the big money are always putting us down. Mr. Wayne save us!
You think Wayne is going to save you? he cant even pass an amanedment to the gambling law, he is powerless, waffling and useless as tits on a bull.
Nonsense. They are illegally trading on public beach and negatively impacting peoples lives. They should be removed.
This morning I saw tacky white tents with vendors. Nothing has changed PACT is simply making noise.
Check back on 1 Feb. I’m not saying it will be any different, but at least wait until the date this goes into effect to start complaining?
we need cops at the intersection of Godfrey Nixon and Eastern Ave every if not at least every Friday from 12-7 ticketing about 70% of the terrible self centered drivers too. this whole island is full of lawless nonsense because a certain type of people here decide they don’t need to follow laws. hate to say it’s true.
Certain type of people?
Unless you are one of them you are well aware of the certain type of people referred to.
Certain type yes, from lawless Jamaica.
Scapegoat classic
Bayers.
lawbreakers
If vendors don’t have a T&BL, then they may also be working without – or outside their stated permit conditions, if on a permit. Food handling certificate, refrigeration, cleaning, and sanitation are other question marks. Everyone thinks they can shortcut starting a restaurant…
Yes but they are Caymanian and have a right to do what they want. Rules are not for all of us! Just like we can’t stop the gambling because we would be arresting Old Caymanians straight from our past leader…. Only arrest the foreigners
Problem is the old leader and his cronies made many of them undesirable foreigners Caymanian by the status giveaway. Those people will never be one of us.
Truth.
Pretty obvious what tourism product PACT really wants. Trashy Carnival mass tourism. The more suckers the better for the taxis to rip off and for the higglers to rent a rusty beach chair to. Meanwhile the precious few attractions we actually have are ruined for locals and stayover tourists. The plan is apparently to trash the place for the temporary benefit of those who chose not to have any education or useful skills of any kind.
Started long before PACT!
@4:49 Get past the tribal politics will you! Fact is, this PACT is now responsible and needs to find real solutions to these festering issues. While we wait for tangible evidence of the change they promised it is like crickets out here!
🤣🤣 you confirmed the poster’s comment ‘festering issues’.
Yes 7.39, but don’t you see it’s easier to blame the previous administration, so UDPact can sit back and enjoy the ride, at our expense.
Both so called parties are responsible for the destruction of these islands! I have no use for either one.
Go back to where you come from since we is so bad
Disgusting attitude
No individual should be operating any commercial business on any public land for profit. Get them off!! Tell them to go get a proper job and stop ripping people off.
Let’s get rid of the taxi drivers then, they are on public land for profit
lmfao. Sad but true.
lmfao. Sad but true.
Great idea, the taxis in cayman are a disgrace, can’t drive properly, can’t indicate, ridiculous rip off prices. Bring in Uber.
You do realize that Uber is just your average man on the street whose sole qualification is the knowledge of how to download a mobile app? That will only compound the issue.
Does that include recycling business on Bodden Town beach?
who you think you is taking bread out of my children mouth
huh? Father or fathers of children, yourself, government…?
Gonna have to find something else to do besides selling weed and liquor to tourists.
Who you think you is not following the rules & regulations that all other business, big and small, follow?
What makes you special?
look at all the workers on the construction site who have permits for everything but construction. right there by public beach, how about rounding them all up?
Blame, blame…go look in mirror and wakey wakey…2023!
You should have tried harder.
Hot sure why anyone should feel entitled to camp out on government land for free to make money by harassing tourists with crappy products while taking away space from others.
They are all the big money imported people who want to run the place like they own it and we is their servants
You could apply the same logic to shoplifting. It aint legal so don’t do it!
About time. But please don’t let them use the cabanas. It’s not a great experience with them be located there having visited the public beach last year. Is there space nearer the car park? The other buildings put there are not fit for purpose so something new will have to be provided.
take them away altogether. they are an eyesore and a third world presence.
You not touching me without a fight!
Fine by me
“It’s a challenge that cannot be ignored”… but they’ll still be doing the same shit 5 and 10 years from now!
NO vendors should be at public beaches!
Maybe at a separate section in the parking lot.
Like the one full of buses that was designed and built for licensed food vendors?
So you rent a chair in the parking lot and carry it to the beach? Good luck with that. 😀
Bring a towel.
So many persons selling illegally, please do the right thing and apply for your trade and business licence its only $75.
They should not be selling at all.
They really degrade the whole experience.
Price of T&B license is part of the problem. Should be at least $250.00 so Jamaicans can’t take out 6 at a time as they do now.
Shut up you foreigners, we Caymanians need to work. Mr. Kenny get this right man!
As a Caymanian I would like to say shut the hell up and get off public beach!
As a foreigner, you say (Mr.?) Kenny got it right … fed you and others did he with food or something else that put alot of you in the position that some of you are now …? Look at your own!
Get a job that doesn’t involve you breaking the law, there are plenty out there you just have to turn up.
Caymanian my arse.
Jaymanian
Good! Then you will get nothing!
This Caymanian who has Cayman roots going back many, many generations says to you; Go find work. If you want work, its there.
You, and many others who cry foul, only want certain work.
If you want to run a business, then run it. But get a business license and do it legally.
The tough pill thousands will never swallow.
Trash leaving trash
Majority of us Caymanians want the traders gone.
Get a trade and business license then and follow your own caymanian laws like the ‘foreigners’ that generate the revenue for your public services do. Also you are a British overseas territory, not a country.
The trashing of Grand Cayman’s primary tourism attraction is beyond belief. From man made erosion at the south end to deck chairs stacked down to the waves at the north end. The higgler mentality pervades our tourism industry and that applies equally to the public areas as well as the luxury areas.
Modern Cayman just can’t do classy.
Who’s going to enforce this? Police can’t enforce nap time at a preschool.
How about putting public chairs and resources? These people make 10-20$ off a beach chair and have 200-300 chairs. 300-1k a day just off rentals from the tourist. No license or any contribution to the local community.
Should have a beach officer any ways to check all these vendors. If they can have a dancing cop in town they can do the same for this.
All good intentions and adherence to the law have to be enforced.
That’s not going to happen as they will run to Kenneth (our new Mac) and he will say it’s OK…for fear of losing votes.
Disgusting! Get them all off the beach legal or illegal. Legal to a proper place OFF the beach. Governments too slow in acting! PUBLIC beach that the public cannot enjoy! Went to go sit down for an hour but just stood there for five minutes, nowhere to sit but within a few seconds was approached by a vendor, Miss, Miss…blah, blah…back in my car and left. Is this Cayman now? UGH!
Good and about time, as long as it’s enforced of course…..
For all nationalities? cool
if you’re going to operate illegally at least clean up after yourselves. The south side by the condos looks like a waste dump after hours.
That is simply the national sport of littering
Also DOE needs to start restricting numbers at the stingray sandbar, it is getting out of control.
Govt also need to fix the traffic problem.
Remote work could alleviate so many traffic problems, but managers gotta manage and landlords, petrol companies and CUC will never allow it
So much pressure on marine life and reefs
That’s fine and all, but please do also make sure that those kiosks are replaced with more suitable vendor accommodations. Those tiny sh*t-sheds are not even big enough to take a dump in!
Oh yes they are, trust me!
#lockthemup
Paragraph 5 says it all really. In a nutshell: PLC know that Caymanians (and others) are breaking the law but won’t take action because they are Caymanian and will moan that they are being marginalised.
I’ve said it before, a joint effort from RCIPS, CBC and WORC will identify who is legal and who is not and we can rid ourselves of some of the nuisances who are RUINING
public beach.
I’ve had to book cabanas before for BBQs and birthdays etc which I am happy to do but now we have vendors taking over these cabanas and not a word said.
Winsome, you are an ex RCIPS Insp and you were a good one too, saying ‘cease and desist’ won’t cut it. Get in about them!!!
As a pensioner, received nothing from government, still not going to illegally or is it ‘legal’on beach in any way to ruin our beaches and not allow me and others to go sit down and enjoy. You are taking away my and others rights…ILLEGALLY!
They’re all illegal. Get them off the beach!!! They don’t belong there. It’s for the general public to enjoy. Not to to carry on business.
These cabanas are for the members of public, not for commercial acitivities.
The cabanas are too small for anything
Can’t even change clothes in one it’s embarrassing that they have never been used yet remain in place
Mistakes should be admitted
They are in the way for licensed vendors
You’re talking about the silly little kiosks!
We don’t need ANY vendors on the beach. it’s for the public (of Cayman, not the cruise ships).