Taman Puring reopens but faces uncertain future

Taman Puring reopens but faces uncertain future

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Fans of secondhand items made their way back to Taman Puring flea
market in South Jakarta on Wednesday, although the vendors and
city administration are still unsure of its future.

Well known for selling used goods, such as cellular phones,
water pumps, electronics and shoes, the market, located in the
heart of Taman Puring, attracts the serious shopper as well as
the curious.

Visitors can also find a wide variety of eclectic items, often
one-of-a-kinds, when they are in the market for an outdated pair
of glasses, an antique clock, a classic watch or funky clothes
from another decade.

Customers come from all walks of life, such as senior actor
Pong Harjatmo, who was seen perusing the stalls for bargains in
the newly renovated flea market.

"I find the flea market is in a much better condition than
before. The ground won't be wet the next time it rains as the
floor has been raised and the ventilation is also much better,"
he told The Jakarta Post while he hunted through the items at a
stall selling assorted clothes.

Pong said he has been a regular costumer since 1978 when he
was first married and rented a house in the nearby Radio Dalam
area.

"The vendors and I have since developed a mutual trust. I know
many of them personally.

"They'll tell me whether an item is of a good quality or not."

He represents the typical loyal customer who becomes deeply
attached to the vendors.

Many housewives reported difficulties in finding a service
center to fix their broken electronic appliances after a fire
broke out last June at the flea market and it had to be
temporarily closed.

The city administration decided to keep it closed for
renovations that were integrated with the park's remodeling.

The project drew criticism from environmentalists as the
location was meant to be a green area.

However, the city administration went on with the plan.

Governor Sutiyoso reopened the flea market while reminding
them that it was only a temporary site for two years.

But even the governor said he was not sure.

"Let's see after two years what we will do with this flea
market. Ideally it should return to its original function as a
garden.

"But leaving a current location is also a difficult task as I
would have to provide a place with similar advantages."

To remind visitors of its temporary situation, the building
has a knockdown steel frame that facilitates quick and easy
assembly and disassembly. The stalls can also be quickly
disassembled.

Construction work was financed by the vendors themselves with
a total budget of Rp 10 million (US$1,123), which gave them 710
stalls.

The building is 2,550 square meters in size and sits on a
3,545-square-meter plot of land. The park has an area of 1.2
hectares.

Each stall sells for Rp 15 million and the vendors can pay for
it in cash or in installments with a down payment of Rp 7.5
million.

Most vendors choose to pay in installments as they do not have
enough money, even though the interest rates are extremely high
for them.

"We have to pay Rp 400,000 per month for three years, which
comes out to an interest rate of 33 percent per annum," said
Marwilis, who has owned a stall selling work tools, such as
drills and marble cutters, since the early 1980s.

"It is just outrageous because the total monthly installment
is exactly worth the stall's cash value," he said.

Marwilis, however, said he had no other choice but to pay it
off in installments, because he still needs money to purchase
stock.

"I just hope that more people will come here as the flea
market is in a much better condition than before.

"We vendors really have to work hard because the governor said
that we only have two years here while our loan at the bank is
for three years.

"But I am sure the governor will extend the use of this flea
market as he always does."

Similar optimism was also shown by Andre, who has been selling
a range of electronic goods since the early 1990s.

"It has been the same case every year -- we get told that we
only have one year. Then the city administration extends the
license period for another year, and that happens again and
again."