The Institute for Municipal Affairs (IAM) recently announced that 10 stalls in the Patane Market food center and five stalls in the Horta da Mitra Municipal Market will be subject to public tender from October 18th. Bidders will be evaluated based on five criteria, including their operating strategy, experience, qualifications, hours of operation, diversity of merchandise, and convenience of payment methods.
The “Public Market Management Regime” came into effect on January 1, 2022. At the end of last year, 96.6 percent of the 842 stall tenants in Macau’s nine municipal markets met the requirements to continue operating. The Scheme has helped to improve the quality of service and mode of operation of market stalls, and the introduction of a competitive bidding mechanism, which selects operators based on merit and is in line with commercial principles, thereby improving long-term development markets and meeting the future needs of residents.
Authorities must continually review the operations of local market stalls, taking into account the opinions of different interested parties, namely stall operators and residents, making specific adjustments and improvements, in order to create conditions to offer consumers more reasonable prices and a better consumption environment. The authorities should also carry out an overall assessment of the operation of markets in various districts of Macau, based on scientific data, the aspirations of stall operators and the opinions of residents, etc., so as to continuously improve the service and convenience of markets public.
The operation of local markets is closely related to the daily lives of residents. In the past, traditional markets were the main places where residents purchased fresh food on a daily basis, but with changes in consumption patterns and the popularity of delivery services, demands on stall services have also increased.
To improve global market management, in addition to regulating laws and regulations, it is necessary to optimize facilities and equipment, their convenience and hygiene. Authorities should provide incentives to support current leaseholders to adopt business practices that are more favorable and correspond to the consumption patterns of the general public, as well as enhance the consumer experience. This involves increasing the number of channels for purchasing goods through mobile applications and delivery services, in order to attract more customers through different means, thus promoting the sustainable development of public markets.
This time, 15 stalls at the Horta da Mitra Municipal Market and Patane Market food markets were up for auction, which means that around 260 stalls are still available. As these markets are public resources, they must not only comply with the basic principle of serving the public, but also avoid being unoccupied for long periods. In the short term, it is recommended to create conditions for existing operators to request the exchange of stalls, taking into account current operating conditions in public markets. In the long term, the next bidding phase should be launched as quickly as possible to optimize the use of public resources.
Macau Institution People’s Alliance
