Riot-hit market traders balk at funding repairs

Riot-hit market traders balk at funding repairs

JAKARTA (JP): Traders at traditional markets burned and
destroyed during the May massive riots here last year are
strongly opposing the city administration's plan to collect money
from them for market renovations.

Contacted by The Jakarta Post on Wednesday, some of the
traders said they were told by executives of city-owned market
management company PD Pasar Jaya recently that all occupants
whose kiosks were wrecked in the six markets, which were severely
damaged by mobs in the brutal fray, would be subject to
renovation charges of between Rp 1.8 million and Rp 3.5 million
per square meter, depending on the market location.

"It's really too hard for us to meet such obligation as it's
already hard for us to even earn just a small profit (from
trading) these days," Lili, a jewelry seller at Pasar Minggu
market in South Jakarta, said.

"Our kiosk was looted, set ablaze, so how can the
administration still ask for money from us?" she said.

Moreover, Lili said, she had already finished paying her rent
to cover the 20-year lease on her 12-square-meter kiosk. She sign
the lease and took possession of the kiosk seven years ago.

Therefore, she said, Pasar Jaya had no legal reason to collect
money from kiosk tenants because they had already paid their rent
in full before the riot occurred.

According to Lili, almost all of the traders in the market
would refuse to pay Pasar Jaya for the renovation of their gutted
kiosks.

Another jewelry seller, Oyong, said the traders had already
voiced their objections over Pasar Jaya's plan in a meeting with
the company's director for technical affairs, Bambang Setiarto,
late last year.

"But we haven't received a response from him so far," he said.

During the meeting, Bambang did not precisely say when the
renovations would start.

Oyong, whose 36-square-meter kiosk was gutted in the May
riots, urged the administration to use the city budget to
subsidize the renovations, instead of expecting traders to pay
for the work.

Mobs in May attacked at least 13 traditional markets, all of
which were under the management and supervision of Pasar Jaya,
leaving 3,384 kiosks and stores seriously or partly damaged.

Out of the 13 markets, six suffered the most damage during the
unrest. One thousand and seventy-two kiosks and stores were
severely damaged in the six markets.

The six traditional markets are Palmerah and Cempaka Putih
markets in Central Jakarta; Perniagaan and Glodok in West
Jakarta; and Cipete and Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta.

City officials claim that losses in the six markets amounted
to some Rp 56 billion.

Of the gutted markets, only Cempaka Putih has been built and
resumed operation in late August.

The Ministry of Finance has allocated Rp 68 billion to the
city administration for the renovation of all gutted markets.

When contacted on Wednesday, head of Pasar Jaya Sjahril
Tanjung said his office faced no significant problems with the
fund allocation, which will be disbursed in stages, depending on
needs.

He gave no statement on the traders' demand but insisted that
the traders, based on the regulation, "should renew their leases
if their market was burned down".

Traders in Palmerah who are obliged to pay between Rp 3
million and Rp 3.5 million per square meter for renovations also
expressed strong objection.

Food seller M. Yasin said: "I just started my business here
four years ago and have spent Rp 15 million on a 20-year lease.

"Thus, it'll be really burdensome if we have to pay more money
to the market management."

Pasar Jaya executives held a meeting with Palmerah traders
recently but reached no agreement with the merchants.

A pharmaceutical seller, Zulkarnain, hoped the administration
would reconsider the plan because "some of us have just completed
paying installments according to our leases".

"Please, please reconsider it," he begged.

According to Pasar Jaya boss Sjahril, his office will start
renovating Cipete, Palmerah and Pasar Minggu markets beginning
this month.

Palmerah market will be rebuilt by PT Handayani Reka Prama,
Pasar Minggu by PT Dewa Apzata and Cipete by PT Pacifik Lembayung
Mas, he added.

Renovation work on the markets will cost Rp 17.7 billion,
which will be taken from the Rp 68 billion fund from the central
government, Sjahril added.

"The rest of the fund will be used for demolishing and
rebuilding Glodok market, which is expected to be completed
within one year and two months," he said.

He said the renovation of Perniagaan market has not been
decided upon. (ind)