Glodok market to be rebuilt in December

JAKARTA (JP): The construction of the popular Glodok electronics market in West Jakarta, which was burnt to the ground during last year's May riots, is expected to start in December this year, a company executive said on Saturday.

Ivo Edwin Aryanto, spokesman for the city-owned market operator PD Pasar Jaya, said the market would be developed into a seven-story building from the original five-story building. The project will cost approximately Rp 50 billion (US$7.15 million).

"We are now selecting several companies who will take part in a tender for the project. We hope we can start the construction in December," Ivo said.

He said each of the market's seven floors, whose design will resemble an "old Jakarta" landscape, will be equipped with parking lots capable of containing 400 cars.

The spokesman said the new market will be able to accommodate 900 traders, 200 more than the old one.

He said PD Pasar Jaya had experienced trouble tracing the mostly ethnic Chinese traders who originally owned the kiosks in the market, because they were believed to have fled the country soon after the unrest broke out.

"We have advertised abroad, including Hong Kong, urging the traders to return. But only a small number of them have replied," he said.

Ivo dismissed speculation that PD Pasar Jaya had profited from the interest on the Rp 50 billion deposit.

"The money is still in the account of the Ministry of Finance. It will be disbursed in phases if the construction project starts," he said.

He said the Rp 50 billion was part of a Rp 60 billion loan from the Ministry of Finance.

"About Rp 10 billion of the loan has been used to renovate three markets: Pasar Minggu and Cipete in South Jakarta and Palmerah in West Jakarta, which were also destroyed during the riots," he said.

In a related development, Deputy Governor for Economic and Financial Affairs Fauzie Alvi Yasin, inaugurated on Saturday a traditional market shopping tourism campaign.

"We hope the campaign can restore economic activities in the traditional markets," Fauzie said in a ceremony at Rawa Bening market, in East Jakarta.

Rawa Bening is known as a center for gems and stones, while Tanah Abang market is popular as a textile center, he said. (jun)