Riot-hit market traders balk at funding repairs<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Traders at traditional markets burned and
\ndestroyed during the May massive riots here last year are
\nstrongly opposing the city administration's plan to collect money
\nfrom them for market renovations.<\/p>\n
Contacted by The Jakarta Post on Wednesday, some of the
\ntraders said they were told by executives of city-owned market
\nmanagement company PD Pasar Jaya recently that all occupants
\nwhose kiosks were wrecked in the six markets, which were severely
\ndamaged by mobs in the brutal fray, would be subject to
\nrenovation charges of between Rp 1.8 million and Rp 3.5 million
\nper square meter, depending on the market location.<\/p>\n
\"It's really too hard for us to meet such obligation as it's
\nalready hard for us to even earn just a small profit (from
\ntrading) these days,\" Lili, a jewelry seller at Pasar Minggu
\nmarket in South Jakarta, said.<\/p>\n
\"Our kiosk was looted, set ablaze, so how can the
\nadministration still ask for money from us?\" she said.<\/p>\n
Moreover, Lili said, she had already finished paying her rent
\nto cover the 20-year lease on her 12-square-meter kiosk. She sign
\nthe lease and took possession of the kiosk seven years ago.<\/p>\n
Therefore, she said, Pasar Jaya had no legal reason to collect
\nmoney from kiosk tenants because they had already paid their rent
\nin full before the riot occurred.<\/p>\n
According to Lili, almost all of the traders in the market
\nwould refuse to pay Pasar Jaya for the renovation of their gutted
\nkiosks.<\/p>\n
Another jewelry seller, Oyong, said the traders had already
\nvoiced their objections over Pasar Jaya's plan in a meeting with
\nthe company's director for technical affairs, Bambang Setiarto,
\nlate last year.<\/p>\n
\"But we haven't received a response from him so far,\" he said.<\/p>\n
During the meeting, Bambang did not precisely say when the
\nrenovations would start.<\/p>\n
Oyong, whose 36-square-meter kiosk was gutted in the May
\nriots, urged the administration to use the city budget to
\nsubsidize the renovations, instead of expecting traders to pay
\nfor the work.<\/p>\n
Mobs in May attacked at least 13 traditional markets, all of
\nwhich were under the management and supervision of Pasar Jaya,
\nleaving 3,384 kiosks and stores seriously or partly damaged.<\/p>\n
Out of the 13 markets, six suffered the most damage during the
\nunrest. One thousand and seventy-two kiosks and stores were
\nseverely damaged in the six markets.<\/p>\n
The six traditional markets are Palmerah and Cempaka Putih
\nmarkets in Central Jakarta; Perniagaan and Glodok in West
\nJakarta; and Cipete and Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
City officials claim that losses in the six markets amounted
\nto some Rp 56 billion.<\/p>\n
Of the gutted markets, only Cempaka Putih has been built and
\nresumed operation in late August.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Finance has allocated Rp 68 billion to the
\ncity administration for the renovation of all gutted markets.<\/p>\n
When contacted on Wednesday, head of Pasar Jaya Sjahril
\nTanjung said his office faced no significant problems with the
\nfund allocation, which will be disbursed in stages, depending on
\nneeds.<\/p>\n
He gave no statement on the traders' demand but insisted that
\nthe traders, based on the regulation, \"should renew their leases
\nif their market was burned down\".<\/p>\n
Traders in Palmerah who are obliged to pay between Rp 3
\nmillion and Rp 3.5 million per square meter for renovations also
\nexpressed strong objection.<\/p>\n
Food seller M. Yasin said: \"I just started my business here
\nfour years ago and have spent Rp 15 million on a 20-year lease.<\/p>\n
\"Thus, it'll be really burdensome if we have to pay more money
\nto the market management.\"<\/p>\n
Pasar Jaya executives held a meeting with Palmerah traders
\nrecently but reached no agreement with the merchants.<\/p>\n
A pharmaceutical seller, Zulkarnain, hoped the administration
\nwould reconsider the plan because \"some of us have just completed
\npaying installments according to our leases\".<\/p>\n
\"Please, please reconsider it,\" he begged.<\/p>\n
According to Pasar Jaya boss Sjahril, his office will start
\nrenovating Cipete, Palmerah and Pasar Minggu markets beginning
\nthis month.<\/p>\n
Palmerah market will be rebuilt by PT Handayani Reka Prama,
\nPasar Minggu by PT Dewa Apzata and Cipete by PT Pacifik Lembayung
\nMas, he added.<\/p>\n
Renovation work on the markets will cost Rp 17.7 billion,
\nwhich will be taken from the Rp 68 billion fund from the central
\ngovernment, Sjahril added.<\/p>\n
\"The rest of the fund will be used for demolishing and
\nrebuilding Glodok market, which is expected to be completed
\nwithin one year and two months,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the renovation of Perniagaan market has not been
\ndecided upon. (ind)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/riot-hit-market-traders-balk-at-funding-repairs-1447893297",
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