Three inspection campaigns conducted against illegal street vendors in Bahrain

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Inspection Directorate at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism conducted three inspection campaigns against street vendors in Manama, Salmabad and Ras Zuwayed.

The joint campaigns were conducted on Friday in cooperation with specialists from the Interior Ministry, the Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA), the Works, Municipalities and Urban Planning, the Health Ministry, the Labour Market Regulatory Authority and the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The campaigns aimed at reducing repeated violations of street vendors, especially during the current exceptional circumstances requiring concerted efforts to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic, said Assistant Undersecretary for Resources and Control at the Industry Ministry, Abdulaziz Al-Ashraf.

During the campaigns the Works Ministry detected 350 violating vendors, who were selling fruits, vegetables, foodstuffs, birds and clothes, illegally and without commitment to the health precautions, blocking the flow of movement.

Illegal street vendors also harm the businesses of legal shops who pay rent and taxes.

The Health Ministry also closed 15 shops for failing to meet the necessary health requirements.

The other entities also recorded various violations, including unlicensed shops and not wearing face masks.

Al-Ashraf affirmed that the campaigns will continue to clamp down on the phenomenon of street vendors, extended thanks to all the entities that cooperated with the Industry Ministry in ensuring the success of the inspection campaigns.