Hanoi Party Committee Secretary Pham Quang Nghi has ordered a reassessment on upgrading traditional markets into commercial centres.
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| Hanoi stops the plan to transform Nghia Tan market into a commercial building |
At the briefing conference with districts, Nghi said he approved of stopping the plan to transform Nghia Tan market into a commercial building. This project has already been opposed by hundreds traders. Hanoi authorities have stopped the ground clearance work on suggestions of Cau Giay People's Committee and the investor.
"Moving traditional market in a commercial building hasn’t done anything but concern people." Nghi said.
Hanoi has upgraded several traditional markets into commercial buildings but they have failed miserably.
O Cho Dua commercial centre has been derided by shoppers and stall holders alike as a white elephant commercial building. The seven storey building remains largely empty beyond the first and ground floors, yet 80% of the market kiosk and office cubicles have been abandoned.
Explaining the situation, experts said people like to buy goods at open markets because of their flexible prices and dynamic relationship between traders and customers.
Furthermore, the way to manage a traditional market is vastly different from how to manage a commercial building and those dynamic features are mostly killed off when a traditional market is put into a commercial building.
