Palma.As part of an ongoing battle against illegal street vendors, the small to medium-sized business association of Majorca (Pimeco) is proposing that not only the vendors, but those who buy from them should be fined.
It is one of multiple measures that traders are putting forward to the 53 town councils around the island so that controls on the vendors can be applied equally in all municipalities.
The association was not clear about in just what way the buyer should be penalised but insisted that the move was necessary in order to crack down on street selling, which is proving a major threat to the survival of legal, taxpaying businesses.
Association President, Bernat Coll, said yesterday that other suggestions put forward by his members include banning people selling food and drink from anything other than a fixed premises, thereby preventing salesmen wandering the beaches and seafronts. The Association also wants it to be illegal to put up billboards and advertising frontages which have not been consented to by local authorities.
Coll claimed that apart from damaging trade for bona fide businesses, these practices give a bad image of the island to visitors. Tourists, he said, need to be officially informedabout the illegality of them, along with what fines they stand to incur should they consent to buy from unauthorised street traders.
Disappointing sales
Meanwhile, Pimeco has reported that 50 percent of their traders are saying that the first 15 days of the Summer Sales this year have been worse in terms of income than the same period in 2010.
Many said that it would be better to wait however, until the end of the month, before announcing official figures.
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