In the Pechersk district of Kyiv, the fair trade system, which was supposed to become a driver of small business development, has actually turned into a closed and inefficient structure with limited access for entrepreneurs and numerous violations.
According to official data, in the first quarter of 2025, only 2,862 entrepreneurs participated in the fairs, and the total amount of revenue amounted to UAH 1,155,150. For a district with high purchasing power and significant human flow, this is a meager result.
The organizer of the fairs is the KP "Svitoch", subordinate to the Kyiv City State Administration. Despite this, the number of locations remains limited, and the list of participants practically does not change. According to local entrepreneurs, access to trading places is granted only to certain entities, which raises suspicions of selective and "manual" distribution. Many small producers claim that it is almost impossible to get to the fair without "connections".
Additional concern is caused by the conditions of food sales. Mass violations of sanitary standards are recorded at fairs: the sale of meat, fish and dairy products without refrigeration equipment and temperature control, the sale of products directly from cars, the lack of proper labeling and documents on the origin of the goods. Often, foods are placed in a mixed manner, which creates risks for the health of consumers.
Despite the obvious problems, according to reliable sources, the head of the Pechersk RDA, Nataliya Kondrashova, and the head of the Pechersk Police Department, Andriy Dubrova, are not taking effective measures to stop the violations. This allows opaque schemes and sanitary abuses to flourish.
Accordingly, we have filed an official complaint with a demand to conduct an audit of the activities of the Pechersk Regional State Administration and the Svitoch Municipal Enterprise - to find out the reasons for the low efficiency of the fair model, possible restriction of competition, and the lack of budget funds that the district could receive from open and transparent trade.
