Hawkers who have a permit to operate on Sundays only, and who currently do so outside Valletta’s confines, may be relocated to Valletta but the area has not yet been decided as yet, a spokesman for the Ministry of the Economy said.

Speaking to The Malta Independent, the spokesman said that what is definite is that the 50 or so hawkers operating outside Valletta’s confines will not be placed in Ordnance Street with the rest of the hawkers -75 in all – who will be relocated from Merchants Street to Ordnance street.

He said that the relocation of the 50 Sunday monti hawkers from outside the confines of Valletta to Ordnance Street was never mentioned.

“This would be impossible since it is already a problem to fit in all the hawkers – which operate seven days a week – in Ordnance Street.”

The lower part of Ordnance Street is being considered as to small for the 75 hawkers to fit in and they would have to spill over to the upper part of the road in between the new parliament and the TeatruRjal.

In a news conference held on Wednesday, V18 chairman Jason Micallef said that the foundation he represents, along with another six musical and cultural organisations,  are objecting to the proposal that hawkers may set up their stalls in the upper part of Ordnance street where, in his own words, an iconic building (the new parliament) stands, along with the open theatre.

He also expressed doubts to whether the back entrance to St James Cavalier would be accessible once the stalls take over the upper part of Ordnance Street as well.

Mr Micallef also expressed disappointment over the fact that the seven organisations had requested the government to rope them in on the issue. “Information was scant from the very beginning and the move was announced without the organisations having been given the chance to air their views,” he said.

Another issue which is being raised is whether vans belonging to the hawkers would be positioned near the stalls.

One of the proposals is that hawkers park their vans near the stalls for a short period until they unload their merchandise but then would have to find a parking slot elsewhere unless a specific parking area – close to where the stalls would be set up - is identified.