Solutions for market vendors

TAKEO provincial governor Ouch Phea on Sunday said the provincial authority is negotiating to find solutions for more than 10 stall owners in Prey Sandek village’s Prey Sandek market – in Traing district’s Prey Sloek commune – after they demanded that the company that reconstructed the market sell them stalls at a better rate.

Phea said the former stall owners claimed that they had lost their stalls and that the new market’s stalls had shrunk. They demand the company, Kheng Yary Development and Investment Co Ltd (KYD), pay them compensation and sell them stalls at a more affordable price and at their original location. However, the company did not agree to lower their prices.

“[KYD] built a new market on top of the previous market’s site. The size of the market was expanded and offers more stalls to owners. However, the size of the stalls has become smaller. The owners want the [size of the] stalls to remain the same,” he said.

KYD owner Kheng Yary told the governor that they spent a lot of money developing the market.

Regardless, the authority will try to seek reasonable solutions for both sides. A meeting was held on Thursday between stall owners and KYD, with mediation by Traing district governor Chhuon Phanny and Takeo provincial Department of Economy and Finance deputy director Khem Chhorn, but no deal was reached.

Phanny told The Post on Sunday that the stall owners did not accept the company’s requests or the district authority’s suggestions, so the case will be sent to Takeo provincial authority.

He said the stall owners asked the authority and KYD to sell the stalls at a price between $500 and $2,000 (for stalls at the market’s front) to stall owners who have been in Prey Sandek market for a long time.

Sok Thavary, a store owner who has been at the market for many years, told The Post that she is not happy with the district authority’s recommendations because KYD is asking between $1,600 to $2,700 for a stall from long-time stall owners and more for newcomers.

She said KYD promised them that their stalls would remain in the same location and that they could purchase their stall for only $400 to $500 each, up to the number of stalls they previously owned before the company took over. The company did not honour their agreement.

“[Kheng Yary] said whoever disagrees can file a complaint against him. He is not afraid. We asked for our own stalls back. [ Yary] asked if the owners have their [stall] titles to confirm their previous locations. In contrast, [he] keeps the stalls located at the corner or fronting the entrance, which are good locations to sell to new owners,” Thavary said.

KYD told vendors the size of the stalls would be four by three metres. The actual size is a mere three by 2.8 metres. At just 30 per cent complete, the company demanded that the vendors pay for booking. Failure to do so would result in the loss of their stalls, the vendors said.

Takeo provincial Department of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction director Nuon Sothea issued a letter on Friday stating that the construction of Prey Sandek market was made without legal permission.

“The construction of Prey Sandek market was unpermitted. The stalls were smaller than what was promised – the number of new stalls was less than the number of old stalls and stalls [available] for booking. Owners accepted new stalls not in their original locations.”