The development and competitiveness ministry on Monday urged street-market vendors to end their ongoing strike, which the ministry described as “pointless” and “serving only to drive consumers to other distribution networks”.

An announcement by the ministry press office pointed out that Parliament has already passed the draft bill in principle, noting that this seeks to modernise the functioning of open-air commerce and create a balance with other areas of retail trade.

It also pointed out that the government has accepted a series of proposals made by the opposition parties, so that the final version of the draft bill reflects the positions of a broad Parliamentary majority, while the changes mean that no permits or positions within markets are lost.

“On the contrary, the draft bill puts an end to professional insecurity for street market professionals, since their permits are converted from three-year permits to indefinite and transferrable permits. It also helps combat unemployment, since new permits are only given to the unemployed.