Ciledug Plaza traders seek relief after building collapse
Ciledug Plaza traders seek relief after building collapse
TANGERANG (JP): Three hundred small-traders of the riot-hit
Ciledug Plaza shopping center are seeking soft loans and new
sites to rebuild their businesses after losing their kiosks and
merchandise when the damaged building collapsed last Wednesday.
The traders, mostly selling food items and inexpensive
household goods, said on Friday that they did not have enough
money to restart their businesses after suffering losses in the
collapse of the building as well as last year's May riots in
which mobs looted and set ablaze their businesses.
"We are having difficulties finding capital after last week's
collapse of the plaza," Muchtar, an executive of the plaza's
traders cooperative unit, said.
He hoped for immediate relief from the government,
particularly state-owned companies and the Ministry of
Cooperatives and Small Enterprises.
According to Muchtar, the traders could be temporarily
relocated to an empty site in front of Ciledug Plaza.
"But we still have not received a final decision because
representatives of the traders, local officials, the Ciledug
Plaza developer and the owner of the site are still negotiating
the terms," he said.
The site, he added, is owned by noodle maker PT Indofood
Sukses Makmur.
"The traders have been asked to be patient," Muchtar said.
Officials in the local administration have ordered Mediarto,
an executive of PT Sion Surya, the developer of Ciledug Plaza, to
provide as much assistance as possible to the traders, he said.
A number of kiosks have already been erected on the plot of
land owned by Indofood.
The kiosks, Muchtar said, are being offered for between Rp
607,500 (for kiosks measuring three meters by 1.5 meters) and Rp
810,000 (for kiosks measuring two meters by three meters).
Those intending to occupy the kiosks are required to pay half
of the listed price as a down payment. The remaining amount can
be paid in six monthly installments, he added.
It remains unknown who built and manages the kiosks. Over
1,000 mats are also available at the site for use by the traders.
The damaged Ciledug Plaza collapsed on Jan. 20, destroying
dozens of temporary kiosks and merchandise on the first floor. No
fatalities were reported. (41/jun)