Fishermen question fishery agency policy

JAKARTA (JP): City councilors urged the fishery agency yesterday to investigate the alleged unfair allocation of auction spaces in North Jakarta's fish market.

Chairman of Commission B for Economic Affairs Sahala Sinaga said he believed the alleged unfair space allocation at the Muara Angke fish market was due to collusion by certain parties.

Sahala promised to pass vendors' complaints to the head of the fishery agency.

"The municipality has provided a budget for the agency and the agency needs to act transparently while distributing the space, usually done by drawing a lot," Sahala said.

Led by the chairman of the Jakarta Fish Vendors Cooperation Hapipie Tohani, some 30 fish vendors filed their complaints to the commission yesterday. They said the agency had given them smaller auction spaces compared to the non-regular Muara Angke fish vendors.

The fish vendors, who were part of 200 vendors from the old fish market, said the agency had promised to acquire the same auction space once they agreed to move to the new place.

Of the 200 vendors, only 125 received space as large as six lapak per person, said Hapipie. One lapak is equivalent to two square meters.

"We are being discriminated against by the agency while the non-regular vendors can have a larger space than we do," Fayumi, a seller, said. Hapipie said other vendors, including those from the Sunda Kelapa and Muara Baru's markets, could obtain auction space as large as 18 lapak.

There were 875 lapak available at the new Muara Angke fish market. A non-regular Muara Angke fish vendor paid Rp 11 million to obtain eight lapak while other non-regular vendors could secure a 16 lapak space, he said.

Hapipie said the agency had also forced the fish auctioneers to pay a lot of illegal levies. Vendors are required to pay Rp 5,000 (US$2.04) for monthly rent, Rp 20,000 for a 30-watt electricity bill and a daily donation of Rp 1,000.

He said the electricity fee was high for a 30 watt capacity and an electricity meter was not available. The auctioneers also demanded an explanation for the Rp 1,000 daily contribution fee. The agency also collected Rp 500 for every 100 kilogram catch.

Sahala recommended the regular vendors file their complaint to the new councilor who will be inaugurated in July.

Councilor Suwarno Murjo questioned the vendors' selling permit and said the agency would act justly if every seller had a license. "If it's proven that they have the license and receive unfair treatment, the commission will see to it that the problems will be solved."

To obtain a lapak, fish vendors need to complete all three requirements which are owning the license and Jakarta identification card and paying the government retribution. (10)