Call to close slaughterhouse

TANGERANG (JP): The Tangerang Government Watch (TGW) non- governmental organization demanded on Wednesday the mayoralty administration close down a private slaughterhouse in Panunggangan Barat subdistrict due to its illegal operation.

TGW chairman Toni Wismantoro said the slaughterhouse, belonging to PT Sumber Prima Abadi (SPA), was built without a permit and had contributed nothing to the mayoralty revenue since it began operating in mid-November last year.

Around 100 cows are slaughtered here every day and the meat sold to markets across Tangerang and Bekasi and Serang in Banten. The Cakung city-owned slaughterhouse in Jakarta occasionally buys meat from the Tangerang slaughterhouse.

A trader in Cikokol market, Asep, said he bought meat from the private slaughterhouse at Rp 24,000 (US$2.50) per kilogram, lower than the market price of about Rp 38,000.

Head of the mayoralty building planning office Iman Giri said he had never issued a building permit to PT Sumber. "The company has applied for an 'advice planning'," Iman added.

Separately, head of the mayoralty public order office, Muhammad Akip, promised to investigate the case, saying he had never granted the company the right to operate a slaughterhouse. (41)