Traders ask for compensation

Traders ask for compensation

BOGOR (JP): At least 1,200 traders of Pasar Kembang market
have asked the management of the Ramayana department store, also
located there, to be responsible for the 1996 fire which gutted
the market.

Their demand was made on Tuesday as the source of the fire,
which damaged the traders' kiosks and merchandise, came from the
department store.

Eleven representatives of the traders went to the Bogor
Mayoralty Legislative Council to complain directly.

The traders' spokesman, Tjutju Iskandar, said the protest was
made after he heard that Ramayana received payment for an
insurance claim worth Rp 40 billion (US$5.2 million) for its
gutted store.

"However, we, who also suffered from the fire, received no
compensation," Tjutju said.

The traders hoped that Ramayana was willing to pay 50 percent
of the new kiosks procurement in a bid to help relieve the
traders' burden.

The traders also complained that the sale price of the kiosks
set by the developer in charge of renovating the market was too
high, he said.

PT Propindo Mulya Utama, the developer appointed by the
mayoralty, is currently rebuilding the three-story market into a
seven-story building. The construction of the new market is
almost completed.

The sale price of the kiosks, set between Rp 7.5 million and
Rp 15 million per square meter, was considered by the traders as
too expensive because it was set without considering losses they
bore due to the fire.

Therefore, they demanded the developer to cut the price to
between Rp 2 million and Rp 2.5 million per square meter.

The traders further urged the police on Tuesday not to delay
the investigation into the fire, which killed at least nine
people, Tjutju said.

Djudjih Jayasupena, one of the councilors who received the
protesters, promised to deliver the traders' demands to the
related parties.

"We will handle the matter seriously as it is our last duty at
the council (before the establishment of the new government),"
Djudjih said.(24/jun)