Melawai traders struggle on in fire aftermath

The Jakarta Post Jakarta

It has been 10 days without income for Yusuf, a coffee vendor at the recently burned down Melawai market in South Jakarta, because there is nothing left at the market except debris and ashes.

On the 11th day on Thursday, he decided that he could not wait for the promised relocation and took five jars of ground coffee and placed them in the back of his van with the doors open for display at the parking lot next to the market. His makeshift kiosk was open for business.

He was lucky to have found a space to park as more than 150 traders that lost their kiosks in the fire late last month have relocated to the street in front of Aldiron Plaza.

"If we are quick, we will get a space. But, if not we will have to wait until PD Pasar Jaya builds the temporary market it has promised," he said.

While ten days might seem to be a short period for the market operator to fulfill its promise, for the vendors it means a huge chunk of lost income this month and threatens their families with serious hardship.

"Actually it is not convenient for us to continue our business this way," said Yusuf, while adding that there was no electricity and that severely limited business.

"We have to take all of our merchandise early in the morning and bring it back with us at closing time. It sure is not safe to leave our goods here, out in the open," he added. That was why he chose to use his van instead of makeshift tents like others.

Representatives for the Melawai vendors explained their problems to several city councillors, who visited the area on Thursday afternoon, accompanied by officials from city market operator PD Pasar Jaya.

"We will start building the temporary facility today and hope to finish in three weeks," Pasar Jaya operational director Djoko Setyanto said, adding that the 1,077 temporary kiosks would be located on JL. Melawai 1 and Jl. Melawai 9.

Each vendor holding a usage permit from their previous kiosk will be given a four-square-meter spot, either on the parking lot between the burned market and neighboring Mal Blok M or the space in front of Aldiron Plaza.

"Even though the site does not belong to us, Governor Sutiyoso has issued a letter allowing us to use it temporarily for the sake of the vendors," Pasar Jaya president director Prabowo Soenirman said.

Despite the fact that the city enterprise has to allocate Rp 3 billion for the shelters, he added that the shelters would be free of charge.

"It's okay if we have to wait three weeks, as long as they keep their promise," Yusuf said.