Fees will be adjusted at Quang Trung market

(Baonghean)- After many petitions about illegal fees collected at Quang Trung market, Vinh city, on the afternoon of June 8, 2012, Quang Trung ward People's Committee organized a dialogue between the ward People's Committee, the market management board, representatives of some departments and offices of the city People's Committee and more than 50 small traders doing business at the market.

This is the third time Quang Trung Ward People's Committee has organized a dialogue after two previous unsuccessful dialogues. At the dialogue, many opinions from business households were raised, focusing mainly on the fees that Quang Trung Market Management Board has just applied since Mr. Phan Cong Thanh won the bid in July 2011. According to Ms. Dinh Thi Nga - a small trader at the market: these fees are too high compared to Decision No. 12/2012 dated February 8, 2012 of the Provincial People's Committee, including land rent, electricity, and security fees. In addition, high market fees require upgrading the market infrastructure, but the current drainage system in the market is too poor, often flooded, unsanitary, causing difficulties for people's business...

Mr. Phan Cong Thanh - Head of Quang Trung Market Management Board gave some reasons for the high market fees such as the Environmental Sanitation Company increasing the fee, electricity bill increasing, fire prevention and fighting fee and said that one of the bases for the Management Board to set the new fee is based on the fee of the old Management Board...

Regarding these issues, after analysis, Vinh City representative said: Quang Trung Market Management Board has many inaccurate bases for calculating fees at the market, leading to dissatisfaction among small traders. For example, collecting land rent for all stalls is not allowed, but must be based on the location of each stall. On that basis, according to the province's regulations, land rent is calculated for households. Nightly goods protection fees cannot be collected more than 38,000 VND/month...

Regarding the issue of high fees leading to prolonged frustration and affecting people's business activities, in addition to the responsibility of the Market Management Board, there is also the responsibility of the People's Committee of Quang Trung Ward for not being thorough. According to the representative of Vinh City, regardless of the form of business and fee collection, the winning bidder must implement the principles of creating the best business conditions for people, not arbitrarily expanding the market and collecting fees that do not exceed the regulations of the State. It is expected that after this dialogue, by June 20, the Quang Trung Market Management Board will agree on a new fee level to get opinions from business households before implementation.