HCM CITY – HCM City has spent billions of đồng on building new markets to replace old or temporary structures, but several of them have been abandoned for years.

Tân Phú Market in District 9’s Tân Phú Ward was built in 2004 at a cost of VNĐ2.5 billion (US$111,000) to serve shopping demands of local residents.

However, the 4,000-sq m market with 340 stalls has been used only one month since its completion in May 2005.

The structure is now used to store belongings of local residents.

Trần Thị Phượng, a vendor at a temporary market near Tân Phú Market, said: “I have two stalls in the market but now I must work at this temporary market for earnings. My heart was broken when I saw the Tân Phú market abandoned.”

Another market in District 9, Phú Hữu, has attracted only a few traders after operating for three years.

The 2,000 sq m market with 164 stalls is used to store goods of traders and vendors who work at two temporary markets on Streets No 20 and No 21 and Nguyễn Duy Trinh Street in District 2, which are not far from Phú Hữu Market.

Đặng Văn Toàn, a trader at Phú Hữu, said: “Most traders have moved to temporary markets. So customers have not gone to Phú Hữu Market.”

Võ Nguyễn Phương Trinh, deputy head of Economy Office of District 9, said that Tân Phú and Phú Hữu markets are located far from residential areas.

The markets are near the highway, which can be dangerous for traders and local residents to visit.

“This is why both markets have degraded and been abandoned for years,” Trinh said.

She said that district authorities were calling for investment from private businesses to upgrade the markets to attract traders and customers.

The People’s Committee of District 9 has asked the HCM City Department of Planning and Investment to approve the district’s plan to call for investment. – VNS