NGO questions budget for market renovation

The Tangerang Government Watch (TGW) organization questioned the municipality's decision to disburse funds of Rp 2.8 billion (US$297,872) out of its annual budget for the renovation of Pasar Anyar.

TGW director Tonny Wismantoro argued that all the facilities in the market complex were the responsibility of management firm PD Pasar and its designated contractor, PT Cikupa Raya Semesta.

Tonny explained that the facilities that the management and contractor had to provide as part of the renovation of the market, which caught fire earlier this year, were roads, fences, parking areas, prayer houses (musholla), and a sewerage and drainage system.

Municipality planning agency secretary Dedy Rosadi had previously explained that only Rp 1.2 billion of the money would actually be used to pay for the facilities, while another Rp 1.6 billion had been allocated for the construction of school buildings in the municipality.

Tonny further said that the money was not needed as the management and contractor had already begun collecting payments from kiosk owners in the market to pay for the renovation work.

Most of the kiosk owners, however, have complained that the payments -- ranging between Rp 3 million and Rp 6 million -- were too high, considering their leases would expire in 2006.

Abdullah, one of the kiosk owners, said that the market traders had yet to benefit from the renovation work. In fact, most of them just considered it an expensive effort to patch up the market.--JP