Street vendors given the blame

SURABAYA, East Java: The head of the Surabaya Sanitation Agency, Surjanto, said on Tuesday the agency found it difficult to keep the city clean because of the increasing number of vendors operating on the city's streets.

"The number of street vendors is increasing and getting out of control. They have penetrated the banned areas, including along the banks of the river, which they use for their daily activities," he was quoted by Antara news agency as saying on the sidelines of a discussion on waste treatment here.

Surjanto also blamed the uncleanliness of the city on poor facilities, limited funding and the economic crisis.

He did say the city had increased its budget for waste treatment from Rp 17 billion in 1995 to Rp 21 billion this year.

However, he hinted that limiting the areas where street vendors were allowed to operate would create another social problem. "They (vendors) are there to earn a living. If we raid them, they will fight back." (lup)