Rini to open markets on border area

Rini to open markets on border area

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Rini M. Soewandi, will
inaugurate three separate markets along the border of Indonesia
and East Timor at the end of this month.

The construction of the markets is aimed at boosting the
economy in the area, as well as reducing potential social
conflicts stemming from the presence of East Timor refugees in
East Nusa Tenggara province, which borders East Timor.

"We have been informed of the plan. She will inaugurate three
markets on the border of East Nusa Tenggara and East Timor on
Jan. 31," said Belu Regent Joachim Lopez, in the Belu regency
capital of Atambua on Saturday.

The construction of the three markets in Belu regency was
completed in December last year, at a cost of Rp 2.7 billion
(US$317,647). The three markets are located in East Tasifeto,
Raihat and Kobalima districts.

The Belu government is now offering spaces to vendors in the
market, so that they can start business there, Joachim was quoted
by Antara news agency as saying.

Following the independence of East Timor in 1999, thousands of
pro-Indonesia refugees from the tiny country started to flow into
the Indonesian territory of East Nusa Tenggara.

The presence of refugees in the province has created social
problems. Many of them are jobless, so that attention from the
government is badly needed to improve their economic condition
and in turn reduce social problems in the area, including the
high crime rate.