Wholesalers prefer permanent trading site
by Lim How Pim,mreporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on January 17, 2012, Tuesday
KUCHING: Wholesalers here want a permanent trading site preferably on a 10-acre land to replace the present temporary site at Stutong Community Market.
Kuching and Samarahan Wholesale and Distributors Association chairman Lee Bui Siong said the temporary trading site was inconvenient for wholesalers, especially on rainy days.
For the time being, wholesalers are trading at the parking space in the vicinity of Stutong Community Market.
The site does not come with any shelter so business volume might be reduced on rainy days thereby affecting the income of wholesalers.
“What we want is a proper site that enables us to sell vegetables in rain or shine. Trading at Stutong Community Market with no shelter means fewer customers when it rains.
“In the meantime, we expect the permanent site to have an area of 10 acres to accommodate the nearly 100 wholesalers in and around the city,” he told a news conference here yesterday.
Lee reminded that wholesalers had been trading at Stutong Community Market’s carpark since June 2008 when the government decided to demolish Gambier Street Market at the Main Bazaar.
The site where Gambier Street Market used to be is now the extended leisure esplanade of Kuching Waterfront to lure tourists.
“It has been three years or so that we do not have a proper trading place.”
He said there was a plan to shift wholesalers from Stutong Community Market to a site adjacent to the newly completed Kuching Central Mall at Mile 6 Jalan Penrissen.
“However, we were told the plan did not work out. A reliable source said the site was not suitable for wholesalers as it was too close to the main road.”
Asked whether the association would propose a site for endorsement from the State Planning Authority, Lee said: “It is rather hard for us to suggest and we respect any decision from the Chief Minister’s Office.”
Meanwhile, the association called on Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud to extend the tenure of Kuching City South Mayor James Chan.
“Mayor Chan helped relocate wholesalers back then and has continued to reach out to us. We are grateful for what he has done. He is a caring and sincere mayor who will help us in every possible way.
“We hope the chief minister will reappoint him to carry on his excellent service for the community, especially hawkers and wholesalers,” Lee said.
