Klender market traders upset over kiosk prices

Klender market traders upset over kiosk prices

JAKARTA (JP): About 35 traders selling their goods at a
makeshift traditional market on Jl. Wijaya Kesumah I in Klender,
East Jakarta, asked the city council yesterday to help them
negotiate kiosk prices with PD Pasar Jaya, a city owned market
company.

Bahar, the leader of the group, asked the city council's
commission B, in charge of economic affairs, to urge the company
not to overcharge them for their kiosks in the new market
building set to open in 1996.

"We duly hope the commission can help us by persuading or
pressuring the company not to charge us an expensive price for a
kiosk because we cannot afford to pay it," Bahar said, without
stating the kiosk prices set by PD Pasar Jaya.

He explained that all his friends lost everything after a fire
disintegrated their kiosks twice. The last time was on Sunday,
when about 1,200 kiosks were reduced to ashes.

The traders, who mostly sell foodstuffs, have been occupying
the temporary market site since last year because the new market
building owned by the company is still not finished.

"Although we can buy on an installment basis, we still cannot
afford them and we are afraid that those kiosks will be bought by
traders from other places," Bahar said, adding that the company
has never asked the traders to discuss or negotiate prices.

Bahar also asked the city council to prevent the company from
selling the kiosks to outsiders.

Abdulgani H. Abdullah, chairman of the commission, said that
the commission will summon the management of PD Pasar Jaya as
well as the developer of the new market building.

Temporary market

Traders also inquired if PD Pasar Jaya will provide another
temporary market. Police have sealed off the location since the
fire last destroyed the market area.

"None of us can work and PD Pasar Jaya has not told us
anything about its plan," Sihombing said.

Hasan Dasy, a member of the commission, said he had already
contacted the company, who have promised to build a new temporary
market.

Bahar and the other traders also asked the councilors to help
them financially by contacting agencies in the city
administration or the central government to provide soft loans
for the traders.

"As you know we have lost everything due to the fire and we
need financial support to restart our businesses," Bahar
reasoned.(yns)