Goat traders protest against Carrefour hypermarket

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

At least 100 goat traders from Tanah Abang market, Central Jakarta visited the City Council on Monday, demanding that the administration prohibit hypermarkets, in particular Carrefour, from selling goats for the Islamic Day of Sacrifice.

Bringing two goats during their protest, the traders grouped under the Tanah Abang Goat Trader Union (HPKT) accused the hypermarket of quashing traditional goat traders by selling cheaper goats.

"If the administration cannot prohibit Carrefour (from selling goats), we will do it in our own way," the group's spokesman Farid said without further explanation.

Farid said Carrefour, which began selling goats two years ago, had crushed traditional traders by selling cheaper goats.

He said the hypermarket sold a 20-kilogram goat for between Rp 350,000 and Rp 400,000 while the traders could sell a goat of similar weight for Rp 600,000.

"People prefer Carrefour since it delivers the goat to the customer. They don't need to go to smelly traditional markets," Farid said.

He did not reveal the drop in their income since the hypermarket started to sell goats.

Carrefour has reportedly started to inform government offices that want to order goats for the Islamic Day of Sacrifice which will fall on Feb. 12.

In past years, the hypermarket advertised through electronic and printed media, that it provided goats and cows at least two weeks before the sacrifice day.

City Council deputy chairman Chudlory Syafei Hadzami supported the traders' demand, urging the governor to prohibit the hypermarket from selling cheap goats.

"They (Carrefour) should not crush the traditional traders," Chudlory of the United Development Party (PPP) said during a meeting with the traders.

He said the council would summon Carrefour executives next week in a hearing which would also be attended by the traders, before recommending to the governor that the hypermarket be prohibited from selling goats.

Last year, the council had a meeting with Carrefour to discuss the problem, but the latter seemed to ignore the councillors' call and continued to sell goats.

Councillor A. Rahman of PPP suggested that the traders report the hypermarket to the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU).

"Such a practice is forbidden. The traders can complain to KPPU," Rahman of the City Council Commission D for development affairs said.

However, he said if the KPPU declared that Carrefour had violated regulations on business competition, the governor should not allow the hypermarket to sell goats.

Meanwhile, Triyono Prijosoesilo, the corporate secretary and public relations manager of Carrefour told The Jakarta Post on Monday that this year Carrefour would not sell goats for the sacrifice. "Considering public resistance we've decided not to sell goats this year," he said.