The Pitkala Association has filed a judicial protest calling on the government to revise its position on a bank guarantee that fruit and vegetable sellers have give in favour of the government.

By means of a recent Legal Notice amending the Marketing of Agricultural Produce Regulations, sellers who apply for a licence renewal have to provide a bank guarantee equivalent to 10% of the previous year’s turnover from the sales of agricultural produce. “

In the protest, filed against Agriculture Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes, the Pitkala Association said that, since those who do not provide this bank guarantee will not be allowed to operate, the measure constitutes a change in their licence conditions.  

It also said several vendors do not have the financial means to pay the guarantee and that some of them may have to close down their business as a result of this measure.

The Pitkala Association said the unilateral change was “unacceptable and quasi-despotic.” It said the guarantee amount should have been based on the commission individual pitkala received and not on their gross income.

It also claimed that PS Roderick Galdes was hardly ever available for discussions and when discussions did take place, he would do the exact opposite to what had been agreed. This attitude, the association said, led it to believe that Mr Galdes wanted to get the vendors out of the way for some other commercial intention.