Mayor threatens foliage vendors

JAKARTA (JP): North Jakarta Mayor Suprawito threatens plant sellers on Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan with legal action if they do not vacate the street.

He said the sellers are liable to prosecution because they disturb public order. "Never build or do business here without a permit," he told several plant sellers in a surprise field visit yesterday.

The mayoralty did once evict many plant sellers from the street but some of them have returned and started their business again.

The North Jakarta mayoralty's security and order officers demolished 113 illegal plant kiosks on Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan in March.

There are at least six kiosks rebuilt in the restricted area and the mayor said that more will return unless stern action is taken.

The mayor asked them to move to the relocation area at a riverbank near the street. (29)