HCM City (VNA) - Themanagement companies of Binh Dien, Thu Duc and Hoc Mon wholesale markets haveasked HCM City authorities to adjust their “very outdated” management fees asthey have had to compensate for losses.

Speaking at a meeting with cityleaders on February 13, Nguyen Van Huan, director of Thu Duc Wholesale MarketManagement and Trade Company, said that many kinds of costs such as salaries,garbage collection and electricity had risen by 10 times, but management feeshad remained unchanged since 2003 when the market was established.

His company has collected only 280million VND (13,334 USD) a month from more than 1,400 traders at the market,which was insufficient to cover garbage treatment of 300 million VND andelectricity costs of nearly 250 million VND a month and salaries for guardians.

“We have petitioned to hike theservice fee by four to five times from the existing rates, specifically from 20,000VND per sq.m to 80,000-100,000 VND per sq.m. Parking fees in the market alsoneed adjustment in line with the market price,” he said.

Tran Thuy Lien, director of BinhDien Wholesale Market Management and Trade Company, said under the currentregulation the management fee at the market was just 22,000 VND per squaremetre.

Such fees are used to pay formany items, such as garbage collection and transport, wastewater treatment,security fees, water and electricity.

As these costs are high, thecompany has to compensate for big losses every year, she said.

The companies have also askedthe city government to resolve problems related to land rentals and to improvetransport infrastructure in the markets to make it easy for vehicles to enterand leave the markets.

They have also urged thePeople’s Committee to speed up relocation of other inner-city wholesale marketsto outlying districts, and clear illegal markets near wholesale markets toensure the legitimate interests of traders at wholesale markets.

Speaking at the meeting, Tran VinhTuyen, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee, said the city’s general planwas to develop modern and civilised wholesale markets that will not only bedestinations for product buyers but also for tourists.

He said that building brands forwholesale markets and stalls were important, and that brand building began withselling goods with a clear origin and good quality. Ensuring hygiene and foodsafety was also critical, he added.

In the case of Ho Thi Ky FlowerMarket in District 10, Tuyen asked the People’s Committee of District 10 toquickly implement measures to relocate the market to ease traffic congestion inthe inner-city district.

He said that districts mustreview zoning plans for traditional markets and make plans to relocate temporarymarkets.

The Binh Dien, Thu Duc and HocMon wholesale markets should develop measures to attract more traders frominner-city wholesale markets, he added.

As for the petition to hikemanagement fees, Tuyen told the city’s Department of Finance to submit newmanagement fees for the three wholesale markets to the municipal administrationfor approval by mid-March.-VNA