Sutiyoso to evict more street traders

Sutiyoso to evict more street traders

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Governor Sutiyoso pledged Friday to continue the evictions
against street vendors and poor people living along the
riverbanks this Ramadhan despite Minister of Manpower Jacob Nuwa
Wea's criticism.

He said the administration was ready to counter any criticism
as be believed that the evictions were legal.

"The evictions put us in a dilemma, but it is about law
enforcement," he told reporters.

The administration's policy to evict the squatters has been
widely criticized by some segments of the public.

The latest criticism was made by Jacob on Thursday, when he
accused the administration of evicting those people for the sake
of keeping the city beautiful. As for the street vendors, he said
that the government should regulate and guide the traders instead
of simply cracking them down.

"Will the minister (Jacob) accept it if the city becomes more
disorganized? Will you (reporters) let the disorder continue
here?" Sutiyoso asked.

The administration, Sutiyoso claimed, had tolerated the slum
areas for a long time. He said it was time to evict those living
along the riverbanks to prevent flooding.

He claimed the administration warned them three times before
evicting them and gave them compensation, which he said was
adequate, despite the limited city budget. The administration
gave between Rp 100,000 to Rp 250,000 as a "goodwill allowance"
to each evicted family.

Sutiyoso refused to provide them with alternative
accommodation because the families do not have Jakarta ID cards.