Goat traders protest against Carrefour hypermarket

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.