Kiosks considered for displaced traders
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Some 1,500 traders displaced by the fire at the Melawai Market in the Blok M commercial district, South Jakarta, are expected to be back in business as early as November with city market operator PD Pasar Jaya constructing temporary kiosks for them.
PD Pasar Jaya president director Prabowo Soenirman said on Tuesday that his company has allotted Rp 3 billion (US$291,000) to construct 1,777 temporary kiosks on nearby Jl. Melawai 1 and Jl. Melawai 9.
"We will report our plan to construct temporary kiosks to the governor tomorrow (Wednesday). If he agrees, we will begin construction on Thursday," said Prabowo during a hearing with City Council's Commission D for development affairs on Tuesday.
He said the planned temporary kiosks were expected to be finished within three weeks and traders could start business just days before the first day of the Ramadhan fasting month, which this year falls on Oct. 5.
He said his company would not be imposing any fees on traders for the kiosks.
According to Prabowo, he had discussed the plan with a number of relevant agencies including the City Transportation Agency, City Spatial Agency and City Public Works Agency.
"We need to coordinate with those agencies so that they will allow us to immediately construct the kiosks. Normally, we need a number of permits (to build) and if we take the normal procedures it could take two months just to complete the required construction documents," he added.
Commission D supported the immediate construction of temporary kiosks so that traders could return to business as soon as possible.
Most of the traders displaced by the fire welcomed the plan to construct the temporary kiosks.
"We welcome the plan, but we still don't know what to do about getting bank loans to buy merchandise," said Hasan, 60, adding that the majority of traders were not able to rescue their trade goods.
He said that prior to the fire many traders had already bought up stocks to be sold during Ramadhan.
Prabowo estimated that commercial losses suffered by the 1,500 traders stood at around Rp 1.5 trillion (US$146 million).
Two blocks of the four-story market were destroyed by fire last Tuesday -- three days after PD Pasar Jaya disseminated its plan to tenants to replace the market built in 1986 and 1990 with a modern shopping mall and hotel.
Prabowo, however, denied that there was any link between the market renovation plan and the fire.
"It is unlikely that we would use such an approach to realize our plans," he said, commenting on the widespread rumors that the Melawai Market was torched so that PD Pasar Jaya could immediately construct new buildings there.
Commission D chairman Sayogo Hendrosubroto refused to comment on the rumors, saying that the police had to undertake a comprehensive investigation into the causes of the fire.
"We are not in a position to say what caused the fire. It is the job of police to investigate," he added.
Prabowo said that originally, his company planned to begin renovating the market in 2006. He said that the design for the new buildings in the burnt out section market was almost finished.
According to Prabowo, his company would build an eight-story shopping mall and 28-story hotel on the site of the Melawai Market. He, however, refused to reveal how much money would be invested into the project.
"We can't reveal the investment figure until after the design for the project is ready," he said, adding that the mall would also provide kiosks that would be sold to displaced traders.