Yangyel Lhaden

From July end, vendors of new medium vegetable sheds in Thimphu thromde will pay rent amounting to Nu 3,300 and Nu 3,700 depending on the plinth area of the vegetable shed.

This comes after vegetable vendors operating from new medium sheds requested Thimphu thromde to revise the rent, as they had to pay  between Nu 7,300 and Nu 7,900 a month.

The thromde’s deputy executive engineer with the infrastructure division, Sonam Namgay, said the initial rent for medium vegetable markets was fixed according to market price. “Market price per square feet in the area is Nu 70 for medium vegetable markets.”

He said the revised rent is Nu 22 per square feet.

Sonam Namgay said thromde referred Centenary Farmers’ Market (CFM) where daily rent for the vegetable shed is Nu 100 for the new rent implementation. “The revised rent is little higher than CFM, as zone markets have improved facilities such as shutter and closed compartment room.”

Vendors selling vegetable market constructed by Thimphu Thromde in Hejo in 2018 are happy with the news, as they will pay Nu 1,500 from July. They have been paying Nu 4,300 until now.

Sonam Namgay said they ensured the rent is uniform in all vegetable sheds under thromde.

Meanwhile, open-air vegetable markets without shutters are charged Nu 100 for a day. Changbangdu vegetable market and medium zone market in core town’s rent are also Nu 100 for a day.

Medium market in Changidaphu’s rent is Nu 13 per square feet and according to the plinth area the monthly rent is between Nu 1,600 and Nu 2,800.

Sonam Namgay said rent in Changidaphu was lower than other medium zone markets as the construction of Changidaphu road was hampering the business.

Six medium markets are in Babesa Lam Wog, Lungtenphu, Taba, Jungshina, core town, and Changidaphu.

All medium markets are operational except for the vegetable shed in Jungshina.

Sonam Namgay said vegetable shed in Jungshina would complete by end of this month.

The rent in eight minor markets is Nu 13 per square feet and vendors pay a monthly rent of Nu 4,000.

A minor vegetable market has more infrastructure than a medium market. A minor market has a shutter, storeroom, and an attached toilet.

Eight minor vegetable markets are in Chang Gidaphu, Chang Ziri, Kawajangsa, Langjopakha, Zilukha, Changbangdu, vicinity of Babesa IT park, and Dangrina.

Meanwhile, the construction of a major vegetable market in Babesa Lam Tag is underway.

The construction of eight minor, six medium, and a major vegetable markets in zones is a project worth about Nu 80M.

Edited by Tashi Dema