Billion-dollar market is deserted, small traders take to the streets to do business

Empty market, crowded street

Go along National Highway 48, through Quy Chau district,Que PhongIt is easy to see the situation of people carelessly displaying goods on the sidewalks and streets for business and trade, bicycles and motorbikes are parked haphazardly, causing traffic insecurity, especially in the town areas of these two localities.

Small traders doing business along National Highway 48, through Tan Lac town, Quy Chau district. Photo: QA

In Tan Lac town, Quy Chau district, according to the reporter's records, the situation of people trading on the street is very common, especially in front of Tan Lac market gate every afternoon. Due to the heavy traffic, especially during rush hour, people and vehicles stopping haphazardly to buy and sell in the middle of the National Highway can easily cause traffic accidents and disrupt security and order.

It is worth mentioning that next to this crowded area is Tan Lac market, which has been invested in and built to be the most spacious and modern in Quy Chau district, but there are no traders or customers.

According to research, Tan Lac market is built on an area of ​​nearly 10,000m2.², with an investment of 18 billion VND and put into use since the beginning of 2017, however, until now it has not operated as expected as a large shopping center in the district.

At Tan Lac market, there are still many kiosks without tenants. Photo: QA

Mr. Hoang Van Cuong - representative of Tan Lac Market Management Board said: "This market is only bustling on holidays and Tet, but the whole year is quiet and deserted. Currently, the whole market has over 150 kiosks, including the market hall and outdoor kiosks, but only 50% of the positions are occupied by traders, the rest are still empty. With few people and no source of income, even the management board had to cut down the number of people, from the original 5 people, now I am the only one on duty at the market."

According to the representative of the Economic Infrastructure Department of Quy Chau district, the whole district currently has 6 markets, of which Tan Lac market is the largest in scale. However, in reality, the business and trading situation at the market has not yet met expectations.

The situation of people trading on the street is common in Kim Son town, Que Phong district. Photo: QA

The situation in Que Phong district is similar. On the streets of Kim Son town, the image of people carrying baskets and trays bustlingly trading on the streets and sidewalks is not uncommon. Especially in the area adjacent to the district cultural park, traders sit in long rows, displaying all kinds of goods from vegetables, tubers, fruits to poultry and seafood, looking very shabby. During rush hour, this route is often congested because people stop their vehicles indiscriminately to buy and sell. In particular, this road is also the entrance to Kim Son town Kindergarten (Nam Son school), so during rush hour, people and vehicles have to move step by step, affecting the teaching and learning of teachers and students.

Mr. Hoang Trung Cuong - Chairman of the People's Committee of Kim Son town, Que Phong district said: The situation of people arbitrarily encroaching on the roadside and sidewalk to do business and trade has been going on for many years now. The locality has also launched many campaigns to clear the traffic safety corridor and eliminate spontaneous markets, however, without the functional forces, everything goes back to the way it was...

Many kiosks at Kim Son market, Que Phong district are still empty of tenants. Photo: QA

It is worth mentioning that in Kim Son town, there is Kim Son market, invested and built with a total capital of over 100 billion VND, which is a large-scale, modern market, worthy of the highest rank in the Western region of Nghe An. However, up to now, the number of traders registering to do business in this market has not been able to cover it all. The whole market has nearly 400 business locations from the 1st to the 3rd floor, but currently only about 50% of the business locations have registered traders, the rest are still empty stalls, unable to fully promote the size and scale of the market.

According to the reporter's investigation, the reason why traders do not go to the market to do business is because when entering the market, they have to pay taxes and fees according to state regulations. Meanwhile, trading on the street is not only free of charge, but also easy to reach customers because of the large number of people passing by. Consumers' shopping habits are also gradually changing, when online shopping becomes popular, the number of people going directly to the market to shop has decreased a lot compared to before, so traders are not interested in going to the market because they are afraid of not having customers.

Encourage small traders to enter the market to do business

Faced with the situation of traders not entering the market to do business, while concentrating on trading at illegal locations, not ensuring traffic safety and security, local authorities are coordinating with market management boards to synchronously implement support measures and encourage traders to enter the market to do business in the coming time.

Mr. Vo Thai Tinh - Chairman of Tan Lac Town People's Committee, Quy Chau District said: The lack of business and trade at Tan Lac market is also a matter of great concern for the locality, because this is the largest market in the area. In the immediate future, the town will do two things in parallel to improve this situation. First, the town's functional forces will increase patrols and handle the situation of people gathering to encroach on the roadside and sidewalk of National Highway 48 to do business. “At the same time, to encourage people to go to the market, Quy Chau district has also had preferential policies for small traders such as committing to reduce taxes, premises fees, and market fees for small traders. For small businesses along the road, the town also allows them to enter the market to trade at vacant locations. In addition, both small traders and customers do not have to pay parking fees as before. With the synchronous implementation of such measures, it is hoped that business and trade at the market will improve in the coming time" - Mr. Tinh emphasized.

Kim Son market is invested in a spacious manner in Que Phong district. Photo: QA

Que Phong district has also directed the Economic Infrastructure Department, Kim Son town People's Committee and functional forces to strengthen the handling of business encroachment on the roadway on inner-city roads, install prohibition signs for people to comply, and coordinate with Kim Son market management board to create conditions for traders to voluntarily register their business at the market and not to trade disorderly in public places.

The representative of Kim Son Market Management Board said: Currently, Kim Son Market has been in operation for nearly 2 years, however, the number of small traders doing business at the market is only concentrated on the 1st floor, the 2nd and 3rd floors are still empty. Therefore, in the coming time, to cover this number of kiosks, the unit has issued a document to encourage and call on people to do business at the market, support no premises fee within the first 6 months, and at the same time exempt other costs such as environmental sanitation, parking. Households that register their business early will be able to choose good locations to do business...