Traders complain of evictions

Traders complain of evictions

JAKARTA: Hundreds of kiosk owners in Ciluar market, Bogor,
filed a complaint with the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH
Jakarta) on Monday over their eviction from the market area last
week.

The traders claim that the Bogor administration "was told to
evict them by the developer of the new Plaza Dua Raja shopping
mall, PT Jamrud Dua Raja Perkasa".

"We once met the developer to discuss the latter's plan to
acquire our plots, but we rejected the land prices it offered.
During the meeting, which was also attended by Sukaraja
district and Bogor officials, as well as the police, the company
threatened to get the Bogor administration to evict us," Rudi
Ginting, a trader, said.

The traders said they planned to bring the Bogor
administration and the company to the Administrative Court.

The traders argue that they legally acquired 50 kiosks in the
market in 1996, but they were still asked to renew their kiosk
ownership every year and to pay up to Rp 400,000 on
administrative fees to the Bogor Industry and Trade Agency.

They also had to pay about Rp 4,000 in rental per kiosk per
day to the city market operator.

PT Jamrud executives Minde Managar and Suradi denied the
accusations, saying that they had built temporary kiosks for the
traders. -- Antara