Vendors at the Madungo festival will be required to pay a fee at next year’s event.

That is according to manager of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Arrowroot Association and Coordinator of the Madungo Festival, Selmon Walters.

In an interview with NBC Radio News following the hosting of the festival, Walters said the decision was made due to complaints from the park concerning the area used by the vendors during the festival.

"The vendors get everything free, they don't pay a fee to come to the festival and then they go away and leave all their garbage scattered all over the place. We are getting a query and a complaint from the park that we clean up where we used; but where the vendors used, obviously they didn't take up their garbage. So what we are going to do next year is to register the vendors and they will have to pay a fee to open there because cleaning up the property afterwards, we have to pay to clean it up. This year it cost over $500 to clean it up. Vendors didn't contribute anything, they are getting everything free. So I'm telling them; those who normally come to vend that although you are welcomed we'll have to make sure you are registered and pay a fee so we can do things properly and you play your part of it because to run that thing is very expensive".

SOURCE: National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC Radio)