Kramat Jati traders to move temporarily

JAKARTA (JP): Traders from the Kramat Jati market, in East Jakarta, will be moved to makeshift kiosks on a nearby alley -- possibly after Idul Fitri -- as the market will be renovated, an official said yesterday.

The chairman of the city-owned market company PD Pasar Jaya, Albert Napitupulu, said the temporary relocation would allow the market to be transformed into, what has been billed as, the largest fruit and vegetable distribution center in Southeast Asia.

The relocation, after the Idul Fitri public holidays on Jan. 30 and Jan. 31, was timed to avoid any negative impact on the traders, he said.

"We will give the traders time to prepare for the Lebaran celebration in line with their demand. Renovating markets before such major holidays will only cause a commotion as has often happened before."

The Kramat Jati market has not been renovated since it opened in 1973. About 2,700 traders and 700 laborers work at the market, which is frequented by more than 1,000 scavengers.

The market was originally built to ease congestion in the city but the Kramat Jati area has become infamous for its chaotic traffic. Trucks, cars and buses entering and leaving the market often pay little heed to traffic rules.

And the market produces 300 cubic meters of garbage every day.

The renovation project will be conducted by PT Tritunggal Sentra Sejahtera, the private company which won the Rp 156 billion contract, under the city's supervision.

According to the agreement, Tritunggal holds 77 percent of the shares in the project while the administration controls the remainder.

Main market

The renovated market is expected to cover 14.7 hectares with the main market building occupying two floors.

The first will be divided into four zones: two for fruit and vegetable wholesalers and two for fruit and tuber sellers. The second will be set aside for other facilities such as telecommunication and banking services and an import-export office.

The head of the City Council's Commission B for economic affairs, Djafar Badjeber, praised the decision to renovate the market after the Idul Fitri holidays.

Djafar said he hoped the old traders would be given a priority to stay in the market.

The renovation plan, however, was questioned by Lukman Mokoginta from the council's Indonesian Democratic Party faction.

"Can traditional traders who used to transport their materials by truck operate the same way in the renovated market?" he said.

He also wondered whether the owners of the new building would guarantee that existing traders paid no more for their kiosks. (05)