Slow progress of project to upgrade the West Communal House area of ​​Vinh Market

The project to upgrade the area behind the West Communal House of Vinh Market is expected to eliminate the flooding that has existed for many years, helping small traders stabilize their business. However, after half a year of implementation, people still have to do business in temporary conditions, while the premises are still not completed.

The area behind the Tay communal house is the lowest point in Vinh market. For decades, this has been a hot spot for flooding, where many traders have to “live with water” every time the rainy season comes. A heavy rain lasting a few hours is enough to cause the water to rise nearly a meter, soaking goods, damaging machinery, muddy paths, and leaving few customers.

The area behind the West Temple of Vinh Market was flooded with ice in October 2019, leaving many small traders empty-handed. Photo: QA

Every year, when the storm and flood season comes, this place becomes the focus of small businesses. Many people have fallen into poverty due to damage caused by flooding, including in 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022...

Small traders often wade through water to save goods during the flooding in September 2024. Photo: QA

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ninh, a trader at Tay Communal House in Vinh Market, shared: “Every year I have to spend tens of millions of dong to compensate for moldy and drifting goods due to the rain. I sell little but lose a lot, so this whole area used to have dozens of traders, but now many have stopped doing business, and the inside is now just a warehouse. When we heard about the upgrade project at the beginning of the year, everyone was happy, but we have been waiting for a long time and it is still not complete enough for people to feel secure.”

In fact, the wishes of small traders seemed to have been answered after the Government issued Decree No. 60/2024/ND-CP dated June 5, 2024 on market development and management. The Decree allows the use of part of the State budget to invest in building and upgrading market infrastructure.

The area behind the West Communal House of Vinh Market is being upgraded and renovated. Photo: QA

Vinh Market Management Board has prepared a dossier and proposed to upgrade the entire area behind Tay Communal House with a total cost of more than 2 billion VND, from the city budget and the market's own resources. The renovation area is over 1,900m², including many important items such as leveling the ground, filling the soil, building internal roads, renovating the drainage ditch to Vinh River, raising the ground level to prevent long-term flooding...

The project started in early 2025 and was initially scheduled to be completed in about 1.5 months. During this time, the Market Management Board held a meeting with traders and agreed on a plan for businesses to be assigned temporary kiosks within the market premises at vacant locations to continue trading, ensuring no disruption to livelihoods.

Workers laying bricks at Tay communal house. Photo: QA

However, up to now, after half a year of construction, the construction site at Tay communal house of Vinh market is still not completed, causing many traders to be upset. People are still having to do business at makeshift kiosks.

"Selling goods in temporary kiosks built with canvas and corrugated iron, the sun is scorching, the rain is leaking, customers are afraid to go in because of the dust. The quality of goods is also affected, damaged by the weather, especially cereals, rice, beans of all kinds...", a small trader shared.

Responding to the project's delayed progress, Mr. Nguyen Huu Dac - Head of Vinh Market Management Board said: "According to the original plan, by around March 2025, people will return to do business at the old location. However, the allocation of capital from the city budget was interrupted, leading to the project not being completed as scheduled."

People doing business behind Tay communal house of Vinh market are currently doing business at temporary kiosks while the premises are not yet completed. Photo: QA

According to Mr. Dac, the market management board is currently flexibly mobilizing other resources and at the same time, directing the construction unit to speed up the remaining volume to complete in June 2025, stabilizing the business situation before the upcoming storm season.

Mr. Tran Quang Lam - Vice Chairman of Vinh City People's Committee said: Upgrading the area behind the West Communal House of Vinh Market is an urgent solution to reduce flooding, ensure assets, and stabilize business for traders. Currently, the city also directed the Vinh Market Management Board to flexibly utilize resources, speed up progress, and soon bring traders back to their old locations.

Small traders hope to complete the project soon so they can return to long-term business. Photo: QA

It is expected that after the upgrade, this area will be able to accommodate about 100 business locations. Households that have been attached to Tay communal house for a long time will be given priority in choosing locations, the remaining area will be announced to invite other households to register according to regulations.

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Source: https://baonghean.vn/cham-tien-do-du-an-nang-cap-khu-vuc-dinh-tay-cho-vinh-10299528.html