Kiosks considered for displaced traders<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Some 1,500 traders displaced by the fire at the Melawai Market in
\nthe Blok M commercial district, South Jakarta, are expected to be
\nback in business as early as November with city market operator
\nPD Pasar Jaya constructing temporary kiosks for them.<\/p>\n
PD Pasar Jaya president director Prabowo Soenirman said on
\nTuesday that his company has allotted Rp 3 billion (US$291,000)
\nto construct 1,777 temporary kiosks on nearby Jl. Melawai 1 and
\nJl. Melawai 9.<\/p>\n
\"We will report our plan to construct temporary kiosks to the
\ngovernor tomorrow (Wednesday). If he agrees, we will begin
\nconstruction on Thursday,\" said Prabowo during a hearing with
\nCity Council's Commission D for development affairs on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
He said the planned temporary kiosks were expected to be
\nfinished within three weeks and traders could start business just
\ndays before the first day of the Ramadhan fasting month, which
\nthis year falls on Oct. 5.<\/p>\n
He said his company would not be imposing any fees on traders
\nfor the kiosks.<\/p>\n
According to Prabowo, he had discussed the plan with a number
\nof relevant agencies including the City Transportation Agency,
\nCity Spatial Agency and City Public Works Agency.<\/p>\n
\"We need to coordinate with those agencies so that they will
\nallow us to immediately construct the kiosks. Normally, we need a
\nnumber of permits (to build) and if we take the normal procedures
\nit could take two months just to complete the required
\nconstruction documents,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Commission D supported the immediate construction of temporary
\nkiosks so that traders could return to business as soon as
\npossible.<\/p>\n
Most of the traders displaced by the fire welcomed the plan to
\nconstruct the temporary kiosks.<\/p>\n
\"We welcome the plan, but we still don't know what to do about
\ngetting bank loans to buy merchandise,\" said Hasan, 60, adding
\nthat the majority of traders were not able to rescue their trade
\ngoods.<\/p>\n
He said that prior to the fire many traders had already bought
\nup stocks to be sold during Ramadhan.<\/p>\n
Prabowo estimated that commercial losses suffered by the 1,500
\ntraders stood at around Rp 1.5 trillion (US$146 million).<\/p>\n
Two blocks of the four-story market were destroyed by fire
\nlast Tuesday -- three days after PD Pasar Jaya disseminated its
\nplan to tenants to replace the market built in 1986 and 1990 with
\na modern shopping mall and hotel.<\/p>\n
Prabowo, however, denied that there was any link between the
\nmarket renovation plan and the fire.<\/p>\n
\"It is unlikely that we would use such an approach to realize
\nour plans,\" he said, commenting on the widespread rumors that the
\nMelawai Market was torched so that PD Pasar Jaya could
\nimmediately construct new buildings there.<\/p>\n
Commission D chairman Sayogo Hendrosubroto refused to comment
\non the rumors, saying that the police had to undertake a
\ncomprehensive investigation into the causes of the fire.<\/p>\n
\"We are not in a position to say what caused the fire. It is
\nthe job of police to investigate,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Prabowo said that originally, his company planned to begin
\nrenovating the market in 2006. He said that the design for the
\nnew buildings in the burnt out section market was almost
\nfinished.<\/p>\n
According to Prabowo, his company would build an eight-story
\nshopping mall and 28-story hotel on the site of the Melawai
\nMarket. He, however, refused to reveal how much money would be
\ninvested into the project.<\/p>\n
\"We can't reveal the investment figure until after the design
\nfor the project is ready,\" he said, adding that the mall would
\nalso provide kiosks that would be sold to displaced traders.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kiosks-considered-for-displaced-traders-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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