Bikalpa has been conducting research works on issues that have directly impacted the livelihood of the general public. Recently, as a part of their policy reform series, Bikalpa conducted a Public Private Dialogue on the topic “Policy Discussion on management of Street Vendors” with an objective to inform and conduct meaningful discussion between the government and private entities on various policy issues. The discussion involved stakeholders from the street vending sectors, provincial ministries, Biratnagar Metropolitan office, Waste management committee, labor union, local representatives and civil society. A total of 31 stakeholders were present at the event held at Hotel Namaskar on 17th of September 2019.
The program was facilitated by Basanta Adhikari, director of Bikalpa an Alternative. A short presentation on the policy paper was conducted by Sarwagya Raj Pandey, researcher at Bikalpa. Citing his earlier research paper, Sarwagya pointed out that Street vending was an important part of the informal economy and in the absence of policies and laws pertaining to the street vendors, thousands of vendors earning their livelihood through this sectors were forced to live in a state of fear. They are also cited as the primary reason for congestion of the streets. The presentation also pointed out the immediate need for management of the street vending sector by taking cue from the recent international examples of Los Angeles, Bankok and many Indian and African cities.
Following the presentation, the floor was opened for discussion and the stakeholders put forward their opinion.
Professor Arjun Baral pointed out the ubiquity of the street vendors in every cities of the world and said that if properly managed, it could boost the local and national economy like many other countries in the world. For management he suggested that the authorities need to classify the type and category of vendors and provide dedicated space in the city for them and regulate
Dr. Bhes Raj Pokhrel, one of the prominent economist of Biratnagar, said that most of the street vendors come from rural area in search of livelihood and the authorities need to clearly define their legal status and allocate spaces for them.
Mr. Gajadhar Khatiwada from the Economic affairs and Planning Ministry cautioned the policy makers to not repeat the mistakes of Kathmandu Metropolitan city, and make concrete plans for foot path management as well as regulation of the vendors.
Rajesh Maskey, from Tol Management Committee said that street vending is as big as a challenge as it is a necessity. He said that they did provide cheap service but at the same time, there is a lot of question regarding the quality of their service and the way they operate at any place of their liking, causing congestion and mismanagement. Therefore, he pointed out that it is important to keep in mind the hygiene while promoting the street vendors. He suggested that since street vendors occupy public space in the market, the authorities should use the weekly Haat lands for accommodating street vendors and decongesting the city space.
Kishor Dhamala from GFONT, said that street vendors were the cause for many accidents lately. He also blamed the selfish behavior of people who don’t prefer to walk a few kilometers for shopping to have been the primary source of encouragement for the vendors.
Deepak Chapagain from Gurans Library, said that the metropolitan office should form a committee to determine the number of street vendors and the street vending space, and regulate the sector likewise.
Mr. Saif Ali Khan, a street vendor, said that the metropolitan officer has created more hurdles to discourage the street vendors and other business, and should instead try to understand the importance of Street vendors, and safeguard their source of livelihood.
Mr. Madhu Babu Tiwari, elected ward officer of ward 7 was of the opinion that before penalizing the street vendors, it was important to frame proper policies for them. He also told that the Metropolitan and the ward office are trying to frame new policies once the current road construction is over.
Mr. Som Raj Thapa from INSEC, said that street vending sector’s current situation is a matter of concern from a human right’s perspective and it was very important for the local administration to work in insuring their right to livelihood.
Mr Devi Acharya of Waste Management Group, Biratnagar, said that from perspective of traffic and waste management, this sector should be gotten rid of immediately. But at the same time, due to the number of employment it generates and the cheap and convenient service that it provides, the metropolitan office should register these business and regulate them by pushing them to secondary streets from the primary ones, and also insure that they don’t vend near the junctions.
Pabitra Shrestha from National Disability federation, said that the government mostly regulates and troubles those who don’t have any connection at the top, like the street vendors. She also said that many people with disabilities were also involved in the vending sector. She requested the government to frame policies keeping the livelihood of people in mind.
Mr. Punam Dahal from Social Development Department of Biratnagar Metropolitan office, said that the metropolitan office is working with ILO to frame policies to regulate and manage the street vendors. He said that the government faced many challenges during management like many vendors turning out to be businessmen with their own shops in the city. He said that within next year the policies would be framed and the street vendors would not be able to vend on any place haphazardly, but would get designated spots. He added that the metropolitan office was having discussion on identifying the vending zones.
Mr Madhav Raj Wagle, Ward officer of Ward no. 10, said that the government shouldn’t evict the street vendors without giving them an alternative, and should instead provide them legal status through registration. He also said that the metropolitan office should make polices by involving all the stakeholders in the policy making.
The discussion was held between 2 to 4 pm.
