30 dollars per square meter and up to 70 thousand dollars per month: how Odesa’s “shadow tariff” for seasonal trade works

30 dollars per square meter and up to 70 thousand dollars per month: how Odesa’s “shadow tariff” for seasonal trade works

February — April are traditionally considered the most profitable period for the seasonal trade sector. It is during this time that summer terraces begin operating en masse in the city center and along the coastline. And it is then that the most active flow of money begins.

Journalist Iryna Hryb continues to publish details on how the trade management system in Odesa operates today.

This season, the unofficial “rate” for approving summer terraces was $30 per square meter.

If we calculate only for the two most profitable locations, the figures are quite telling.

On Derybasivska Street, the total area of summer terraces is about 1,000 square meters.

1,000 sq. m × $30 = $30,000.

Along the coast, the area of summer terraces reaches approximately 3,000 square meters.

3,000 sq. m × $30 = $90,000.

Thus, for these two locations alone, we are talking about roughly $120,000.

Of course, this is an approximate estimate, but it gives an idea of the possible scale of financial flows.

Entrepreneurs who want to process documents without obstacles are advised to contact Kateryna Horb...a. It is she who, according to reports, handles the preparation of document packages and submits them through the Administrative Services Center (ASC).

However, if an entrepreneur refuses such “cooperation,” the situation can change dramatically.

According to entrepreneurs, in such cases inspections, delays in procedures, refusals, and other bureaucratic problems begin.

But that is not all.

For those who do not want to register officially and pay into the budget but still wish to operate peacefully, there is a separate price list, according to entrepreneurs.

The cost of such a “package” ranges from $300 to $500 per month, depending on the location of the trading point.

The principle, according to entrepreneurs, is extremely simple:

You work — you pay.

You don’t pay — prepare for dismantling.

At the same time, even after dismantling, returning the terrace to its place also costs money.

According to entrepreneurs, the unobstructed return of the facility costs another $100–500.

If the owner refuses to pay, the entire administrative machine reportedly comes into play.

A separate area is spontaneous trade.

According to sources, this involves not only control over existing points but also the installation of new vegetable stalls.

The following unofficial rates are mentioned:

-  300 UAH per day for a trading spot;

-  about 8,000 UAH per month for a regular trading point;

-  up to 40,000 UAH per month — for so-called chain entrepreneurs.

By the most conservative estimates, this sector alone can generate between $50,000 and $70,000 in shadow turnover per month.

And if the information provided is accurate, seasonal trade in Odesa has long since become not only a business for entrepreneurs but also a separate system for distributing unofficial payments, where every square meter, every small architectural form (MAF), and every trading point has its price.