Hai Duong traders anxiously wait for temporary market

More than a week after the fire at the Hai Duong Trade Center, while many small traders have not yet "recovered" enough to start doing business again, they are even more confused because the decision to build a temporary market in the area opposite the trade center is being reconsidered.

Image of the horrific fire at Hai Duong Shopping Center. Photo: Manh Tu - VNA

People only have one wish: a temporary market will soon be built in a suitable location so that trading can continue and the losses after the recent disaster can be quickly recovered.

* Recovering from loss

The family of Ms. Luong Thi Nhu on Mac Thi Buoi Street, Hai Duong City has a kiosk selling groceries and cosmetics on the first floor near the second door of the shopping mall. The fire burned all the goods, and her family lost about 500 million VND. The whole family of 6 people from 3 generations living under a roof of only 21 square meters, for many years relying on income from trading, is now facing many worries. The 15 million VND loan from the Social Policy Bank of Ms. Nhu's husband is about to be paid. Her 6-year-old grandson had brain surgery last year that cost 100 million VND, and this year he will likely have to have another surgery but has no money...

Currently, she has not rented a new place to sell goods, nor imported goods, but learning from the neighbors, Mrs. Nhu asked her daughter-in-law, Ms. Le Thi Phuong, to make an advertising sign with the name of the old kiosk, the name of the goods, and the phone number, then posted it on the corrugated iron fence surrounding the shopping center. Every day, the mother and daughter hope that someone will call to take turns going to the big stores in the city to get goods for customers, hoping to make a little profit.

However, according to Ms. Phuong, there have been no customers in the past few days. "Fortunately, the city has timely distributed 13 million VND in support to cover daily expenses while waiting for the temporary market to be built so we can sell again," said Ms. Nhu.

Difficulties also piled up for the couple Nguyen The Vinh and Do Minh Thu (living in lane 70, Thong Nhat street) when they started their business again. More than 2 years ago, the couple sold their house and used all their capital to open an electronics kiosk in a shopping mall.

The recent fire burned down the couple’s warehouse worth more than VND1 billion. Although he was very sad, knowing that his wife and three children depended on him as the breadwinner, Vinh had to persevere. He found a small cabinet with wheels. In recent days, he started calling dealers, asking for credit, importing small items, and every morning he pushed the cabinet out onto the sidewalk on Thong Nhat Street to sell. However, “selling retail like this has very few customers. Maybe in a few days I will have to fix my motorbike while waiting for the temporary market to be completed,” Vinh calculated.

* Looking forward to a temporary market built in the city center

Immediately after the incident, under the direction of the province, Hai Duong City on the one hand promptly implemented subsidies, on the other hand, quickly calculated and informed the people about the plan to build a temporary market in the area opposite the shopping mall. Thanks to that, hundreds of small traders gradually stabilized their mentality and started to implement new business plans. Although they still had not overcome their loss, they were somewhat reassured with the hope that there would soon be a temporary market near the shopping mall, and business would be favorable.

However, in the past few days, traders have been restless because provincial leaders have not yet finalized the location of the temporary market proposed by the city. Ms. Luong Thi Thanh on Le Hong Phong Street - the owner of 2 kiosks and a warehouse selling speakers and electronics in the shopping mall that was just burned down said: If we move to other markets like Hoi Do market, it will be very difficult to sell our goods. This market is located in a place that is still too deserted, has been abandoned for many years, nearly 6 kilometers from the city center. When will we be able to recover?

Not only Ms. Thanh, most traders also share the same concern that if they are forced to move to a market far from the city center, it will take a lot of time to fix the damage caused by the fire. Mr. Nguyen The Vinh said: "Buy with friends, sell with partners. If we build a temporary market, we can sit in the same industry, but if we are divided into other markets, it will be very difficult to sell."

The issue of where the temporary market will be built is a topic that people are anxiously waiting for. There are continuous petitions sent by small traders to the People's Committee of Hai Duong province. Some traders said they only wanted to rent an area near the shopping mall to do business, but after the fire, they lost all their capital and interest, and had no money to rent the premises. Ms. Luong Thi Nhu expressed: People are left with nothing. We earnestly hope that the government will take into account our situation and build a temporary market in the central area. Only by selling again in the central area can we recover quickly.

Mr. Vu Tien Phung - Permanent Vice Chairman of Hai Duong City People's Committee, Head of the Fire Consequences Overcoming Committee said: As of September 23, the province has not yet finalized the final plan for building a temporary market for small traders. Currently, along with this plan, the provincial leaders are studying a number of other plans. The most important goal is to soon stabilize the business for the people.

According to Mr. Phung, if a temporary market is built, the authorities will arrange enough business space for people and the goal is to be suitable for the industry and the previous location where people did business at the shopping mall.

Leaders of the People's Committee of Hai Duong province, the city, and the province's departments and branches have directly surveyed a number of suitable locations to soon build a temporary market. "All options are being considered and adjusted, taking into account the wishes of small traders," Mr. Phung affirmed.

According to News - TH