City ready to revise bylaw on markets<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The city administration, under pressure by businessmen, is likely
\nto revise a bylaw requiring owners of supermarkets and shopping
\nmalls to allocate between 10 percent and 20 percent of their
\nspace to small and medium enterprises (SME).<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Indonesian Shopping Centers Association M.
\nSjohirin claimed that Governor Sutiyoso had shown readiness to
\nreview the bylaw No. 2\/2002 on markets.<\/p>\n
\"If a law can be revised, why can't the bylaw,\" Sutiyoso said,
\nas quoted by Sjohirin, after a meeting with the association at
\nthe City Hall on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Sjohirin said that the obligation to apportion up to 20
\npercent of the space in shopping malls and supermarkets to SMEs
\nwas a burden to the owners.<\/p>\n
The bylaw states that the owners of shopping centers with an
\narea of between 200 square meters (sqm) and 500 sqm should set
\napart 10 percent of the space for SMEs, and shopping centers with
\nan area of over 500 sqm should set apart 20 percent of the space
\nfor SMEs.<\/p>\n
The allocated space cannot be compensated for with money.<\/p>\n
Previously owners could compensate for allocated space with
\nmoney but reports have indicated that the compensation money was
\noften misused.<\/p>\n
A city spokesman, Muhayat, said that the compensation would be
\nuseful in helping to recover the economy.<\/p>\n
According to him, the money could be used for various programs
\nincluding the construction of showrooms or galleries to display
\nSMEs' merchandise.<\/p>\n
\"Pak (the Governor) Sutiyoso said that we must be realistic.
\nIf the bylaw is deemed ineffective, it should be revised on the
\ncondition that the compensation money is well managed,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sofjan Wanandi, one of the businessmen attending Tuesday's
\nmeeting, told the press that there had already been an agreement
\nbetween businessmen and Sutiyoso on the construction of a
\nshowroom or gallery for SMEs.<\/p>\n
According to Sofjan, the governor will allocate five hectares
\nof land in Waduk Melati, Central Jakarta, for the planned
\nshowroom.<\/p>\n
He added that the construction of the showroom could begin as
\nearly as next year.<\/p>\n
City councillors disagreed with plans to revise the bylaw,
\nsaying that the 2002 bylaw was part of a joint commitment between
\nthe administration and the council to help SMEs.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the Justice Party (PK) faction at the city
\ncouncil Ahmad Heryawan stressed that the bylaw had been issued to
\nprevent money being compensated for the allocated space.<\/p>\n
\"We should not forget the history -- the bylaw was created
\nbecause the use of the compensation money was not clear and there
\nwas no transparency in its management,\" Heryawan said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/city-ready-to-revise-bylaw-on-markets-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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