Bất thường hoạt động thu tiền vé tại chợ hoa | VTV24

Key Concepts

• Chợ hoa đêm (Night flower market): A market that operates at night, specifically for the sale of flowers.
• Tiểu thương (Merchants/Vendors): Individuals who sell goods in the market.
• Vé chợ (Market ticket/fee): A fee charged for entry or operation within the market.
• Phí tự phát (Spontaneous/Unauthorized fee collection): Fees collected without official authorization or proper documentation.
• Ban quản lý chợ (Market management board): The entity responsible for overseeing and managing the market.
• Hộ kinh doanh cố định (Fixed business households): Vendors with a permanent stall or designated spot.
• Hộ vãng lai (Transient households/vendors): Vendors who operate on a temporary or irregular basis.
• Biên lai (Receipt): A document acknowledging payment.
• Phòng cháy chữa cháy (Fire prevention and fighting): Measures to prevent and combat fires.
• An ninh trật tự (Security and order): Maintaining safety and preventing disturbances.
• Vệ sinh môi trường (Environmental sanitation): Maintaining cleanliness and hygiene.
• Thất thu ngân sách nhà nước (Loss of state budget revenue): Revenue that should go to the state but is lost due to illegal collection.

Summary of the Night Flower Market in Nam Dinh Ward, Ninh Binh Province

This report details irregularities and unauthorized fee collection at a long-standing night flower market located in the center of Nam Dinh Ward, Ninh Binh Province. The market serves as a wholesale hub supplying flowers to local residents and surrounding provinces.

1. Market Operations and Fee Collection

• Location and Time: The market operates on Cot Co Street in Nam Dinh Ward, becoming most active around 6 PM. The street and sidewalks are used for trading, with stalls extending approximately 600 meters.
• Fee Structure:
  • Vendors: Merchants are required to pay a fee to operate.
    • Fixed vendors pay approximately 2 million VND per month for a designated spot.
    • Transient vendors and buyers are charged between 10,000 VND and 20,000 VND per entry.
  • Buyers: The report highlights that buyers are also charged a fee, in addition to the cost of their purchases. This is a point of contention and confusion.
• Collection Process: Fees are collected at checkpoints at the entrance of each street. While most people comply, there are instances where individuals are reminded to pay. The collection appears to be systematic, with money being collected "every time" someone enters.
• Lack of Documentation: A significant issue is the absence of any receipts or official documentation for the collected fees. When questioned about receipts, the ticket collectors were unable to provide a satisfactory answer.

2. Historical Context and Regulations

• Establishment: The night flower market has been permitted to operate for 22 years on Cot Co Street.
• Management Changes: In 2019, a city market management board was established.
• Official Operating Hours: According to regulations, the market was supposed to operate from 3:00 AM to 7:00 AM daily. Vendors were to pay fees, while buyers were exempt.
• Unchanged Regulations: No official announcements have been made to change these operating hours or fee structures, yet the current practices deviate significantly.
• Legal Status: Despite operating for 22 years, the market is still considered a "temporary market" and is not included in the official classification of markets by the Ninh Binh Provincial People's Committee. This legal ambiguity hinders official intervention.

3. Identified Irregularities and Conflicts

• Unauthorized Fee Collection: The primary concern is the spontaneous and unauthorized collection of fees, particularly from buyers who have already paid for their goods.
• Confusion and Disputes: The distinction between fees for business purposes and personal use sometimes leads to confusion and conflicts among vendors.
• Lack of Transparency: The absence of receipts and clear financial reporting raises questions about where the collected money is going.
• Operational Issues: The market management board acknowledges issues with fire prevention, security, order, and environmental sanitation, which are their functional responsibilities. However, they face legal hurdles in formally disbanding the market due to a lack of official documentation from the city People's Committee.

4. Official Response and Future Plans

• Ward-Level Intervention: The People's Committee of Nam Dinh Ward has initiated measures to address the spontaneous fee collection and restore urban order.
• Past Fee Collection Rationale: According to former market management board members, the fees were collected for years to cover operational costs and monthly fixed payments to the Tran Hung Dao Ward People's Committee.
• Transition Period: The market is currently in a handover phase between the old and new market management boards, creating a vacuum in clear authority and management.
• Current Management Scope: The current management board is responsible for security, fire prevention, and environmental sanitation but not for fee collection, pending official appointment and handover.
• Ward's Directive: The People's Committee of Nam Dinh Ward has instructed the market management board to urgently review and supervise the operation and exploitation of the flower market to rectify existing issues.
• Long-Term Solution: The authorities are considering a plan to relocate the market to a more suitable location with adequate infrastructure to prevent disorder and potential security risks. They are also investigating the transparency of income and expenditure.

5. Broader Implications

The report concludes by stating that the issue of spontaneous fee collection is not unique to this night flower market but is prevalent in many other flower markets and service areas across the country. If left unaddressed, this practice not only poses risks to security and public order but also leads to significant losses in state revenue, as collected funds are siphoned off by a few individuals.

Key Arguments and Perspectives

• Vendors' Perspective: They feel burdened by the fees, especially when there's confusion about who should pay and for what purpose. The lack of receipts adds to their distrust.
• Market Management Board's Perspective: They acknowledge the operational and regulatory issues but are hampered by legal ambiguities and the ongoing transition between management entities. They are working to rectify the situation within their current scope of responsibility.
• Authorities' Perspective: They recognize the need for immediate intervention to restore order and are exploring both short-term corrective measures and long-term solutions like relocation. They are also concerned about the loss of state revenue.

Notable Statements

• "Mỗi một lượt đi là 20.000." (Each entry is 20,000 VND.) - A vendor describing the fee.
• "Không có vé cho tiểu thương à?" (Are there no tickets for the vendors?) - A reporter questioning the lack of official documentation.
• "Cái này thì còn v còn vé một người thu vé chợ chưa trả lời được câu hỏi của phóng viên chúng tôi về việc là có hay không vé phát ra." (This... the person collecting tickets couldn't answer our reporter's question about whether tickets were issued or not.) - Highlighting the evasiveness regarding ticket issuance.
• "22 năm rồi đây vẫn là trợ tạm chưa có trong danh mục phân hạng chợ của ủy ban nhân dân tỉnh Ninh Bình." (It's been 22 years, and this is still a temporary market, not included in the official classification of markets by the Ninh Binh Provincial People's Committee.) - Emphasizing the prolonged unofficial status of the market.
• "Nếu không được chấn chỉnh thì không chỉ tiềm ẩn nguy cơ mất an ninh trật tự bức xúc cho người dân mà đáng lo ngại hơn nữa là gây thất thu ngân sách nhà nước bởi tiền thu được sẽ chỉ chảy vào túi một số ít người." (If not rectified, it not only poses risks to security and order and causes public dissatisfaction but, more worryingly, leads to losses in state budget revenue because the collected money will only flow into the pockets of a few individuals.) - A concluding statement on the broader negative impacts.

Conclusion/Synthesis

The night flower market in Nam Dinh Ward, Ninh Binh Province, operates under a cloud of unregulated fee collection, lack of transparency, and legal ambiguity. While it has served as a vital commercial hub for 22 years, its current practices, particularly the unauthorized charging of buyers and the absence of receipts, are causing public dissatisfaction and potential financial losses to the state. Authorities are aware of the issues and are taking steps to address them, including immediate corrective actions and long-term plans for relocation and improved management. The situation highlights a systemic problem of spontaneous fee collection in informal markets that requires robust oversight and enforcement to ensure fair practices and protect public revenue.