Small-scale vendors' outcry

Small-scale vendors' outcry

From Media Indonesia

We are owners of small shops all over Jakarta and earnestly ask the relevant government agencies to immediately close down IndoMart chain supermarkets as they have robbed us of our right to run small-scale businesses. Otherwise, we will close them down in our own way.

The Indofood Group and Marco-Mart-Groceries have siphoned off Rp 64 trillion of Bank Indonesia Liquidity Support Loans (BLBI) and taken the money abroad. They have robbed the government and now would like to put small-scale vendors out of business. So, where are the consciences of government officials, allowing IndoMart to demonstrate their arrogance and avarice in small alleys.

Small-scale businesses have earned a lot of praises. They are called an economic bumper and a safety valve and have been praised for being crisis resistant. Indeed, small-scale businessmen have never troubled the government and neither have they begged banks for loans. We are independent. But don't let the giant dragon swallow a small worm. It seems a truism that it may be difficult to be part of the community of the lower social class, like laborers and servants in one's own country. May relevant government officials be willing to open the doors to their hearts.

YUSUF FAHMI

Jakarta