Malls for all?<\/p>\n
Jakarta's income per capita is approximately Rp 30 million
\n(around US$3,500) per year. Which explains why, relatively
\nspeaking, Jakartans have great purchasing power.<\/p>\n
That is the argument used by administration officials to
\nlegally allow the establishment of more and more malls, plazas
\nshopping centers, or whatever they are called these days.<\/p>\n
Six proposals from investors to build more retail centers this
\nyear are indicative of the decision-makers' openness to new
\nshopping centers.<\/p>\n
But it seems that 73 shopping malls, six wholesale stores, 116
\ndepartment stores and 125 supermarkets -- in addition to 151
\ntraditional markets managed by the city's PD Pasar Jaya -- are
\nstill not enough for the officials' efforts to educate residents
\nthat they should prefer shopping over leisure\/educational time in
\nbeautiful parks, museums or libraries.<\/p>\n
According to Governor Sutiyoso, the city needs more malls.
\n\"The indication is clear. The malls are always packed by
\nvisitors.\"<\/p>\n
However, Jakarta's income per-capita of Rp 30 million a year
\nis misleading, given that open unemployment in this overcrowded
\ncity reaches 700,000 and more than one million families possibly
\nearn less than Rp 1,000,000 a month. So, the figures look rosy
\nthanks to the relatively astronomical incomes of tycoons,
\nbusinessmen, bankers, city and state officials and other wealthy
\npeople living in the capital.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso's hypothesis that crowded malls indicate the people's
\ngreat purchasing power is also questionable. Data recorded by the
\nadministration shows that only 30 percent of mall visitors buy
\nsomething, while the remaining 70 percent just go stroll around.
\nSo, we should be more careful in churning out the data, because
\nmany among those 30 percent of buyers may just be buying the
\nbasic staples in the mall. Therefore, Sutiyoso's justifying
\npremise is not supported by the real numbers.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, despite some opposition, the building of new
\nmalls continues, helped by Sutiyoso's other argument that
\nconstruction projects, for new malls, will employ more people. In
\nthis case, the governor has proven his pragmatism when he said
\nthat investors see that the retail business in Jakarta remains
\ncompetitive. \"If the business is no longer promising the
\ninvestors would stop building.\"<\/p>\n
Things are in fact not that simple. Building more stores,
\ntrade centers and malls is indeed diametrically opposed to the
\nbasics of education. Parents and teachers and government leaders
\nshould encourage children to visit libraries, museums, zoos, city
\nparks and other, more nurturing places where children and youths
\ncan develop their creativity.<\/p>\n
Surprisingly, in this context is the statement of Sukri Bey,
\nhead of the economic administration bureau of Jakarta, who said
\nthat shopping malls are the only places where people can go to
\nshop and find recreation, for people to stroll around, or buy
\nsomething to eat and drink, and nothing else.<\/p>\n
We do need malls, but too many malls are not necessary. Too
\nmany malls, in fact, may encourage people to become mindless
\nconsumers who cannot distinguish between buying something they
\nreally need or want, and buying on impulse because they are
\ntempted.<\/p>\n
At this point, people have the right to ask the officials how
\nmany more trade centers, plazas and malls they want erected while
\nthe number of open spaces has been steadily decreasing.<\/p>\n
Property consultant PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) revealed in
\n2002 that there would be at least 800,000 square meters (about
\nthe equivalent of 200 full-size football fields) of new shopping
\ncenters in Greater Jakarta between late that year and 2005.<\/p>\n
From the environmental point of view, the building of more
\ntrade centers or malls is very disturbing. This short-term,
\nrevenue-oriented policy is blatantly against the administration's
\nown promised plan to regreen the city and preserve groundwater.<\/p>\n
No technical regulations exist governing the distance that is
\nrequired between one mall and another, an oversight that is not
\nin line with ideal zoning plans.<\/p>\n
When it comes to traffic, the construction of more malls and
\ntrade centers is proof of the administration's failure and its
\ninability to respond to the whole set of problems the city is
\nfacing in an integrated manner.<\/p>\n
Traffic flow is apparently the quite a ways down the priority
\nlist for the officials when they issue permits for new malls to
\nbe erected.<\/p>\n
Given all these facts, the indisputable conclusion would be
\nthat more malls will only benefit the city in one area -- cold,
\nhard cash. On the other hand the policy will cause innumerable
\nproblems -- including diminished education, worsening traffic
\ncongestion, drying groundwater supplies and the burgeoning of
\nmindless consumerism.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/malls-for-all-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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