Authorities reject traders' demands

Authorities reject traders' demands

JAKARTA (JP): The authority of Pluit development in North Jakarta has refused to fulfill traders' requests for kiosks on the ground floor of the new Muara Karang market.

The head of the development authority, Darrundono, told councilors on Friday that the placement of the traders is based on the type of goods they sell.

"It is impossible to fulfill their demands because the new market is arranged based on the type of goods. For example, the first floor is for jewelry and electronics only," Darrundono told a member of the City Council's Commission B for economic affairs over the weekend.

He said the arrangement was aimed at making the new market cleaner and tidier. In this way it is hoped that shoppers will have a pleasant time in the market.

Darrundono said if the management fulfilled the traders' demands the market would not attract many shoppers because it would end up being as dirty as the old market.

He said vegetable traders tend do business in the morning and close their kiosks when their vegetables have all been sold, while traders on the upper floors would open their kiosks all day.

"The condition would make the market look empty and shoppers would be reluctant to go there," he said.

The deputy chairman of commission B, Nitra Arsyad, said that basically the commission understands the decision but he asked the management to extend the time of the kiosk placement draw until the end of this month. (yns)