Traders express opposition to Plaza Kota Bumi construction

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Hundreds of traders from Kota Bumi traditional market met with members of the Tangerang Regency Council in Tigaraksa on Monday to express their objections to the construction of Plaza Kota Bumi.

The traders argued that the plaza, the construction of which is under way, would kill their business as it was built close to the traditional market.

"Do not duplicate Cileduk in building a plaza, please. Cileduk is a densely populated area and even if a plaza was built close to the traditional market, many people would still come to the traditional markets," Markis, one of the traders told members of Tangerang Regency Council Commission D that handles developmental issues.

Uun, another trader, said that should the plaza be allowed to operate, hundreds of traders from the traditional market, street vendors and store owners along Jl. Raya Kota Bumi would go bankrupt, while they still have to pay installments for their kiosks to the developer.

The protesters also alleged that the land on which the plaza was situated was owned by the Tangerang regency administration and that it has yet to obtain a construction permit from the regental administration.

In addition, the traders also voiced an objection to the Kota Bumi village administration for issuing an eviction letter to street vendors as the developer planned to build a park in the area vendors use to sell their goods.

In response to their protest, Commission D chairman Kurtubi Su'ud said that he agreed that the construction of the plaza would kill the businesses of traders from the traditional market.

"We will soon conduct a survey of the location and summon the developer, including several related agencies under the administration that have allowed construction projects on public land," he said.

Su'ud said he sympathized with the traders because they had just emerged from a prolonged dispute over the ownership of their kiosks with the developer but were now facing another problem.

None of employees at the marketing office of Taman Kota Bumi Housing Developer would comment on the issue.

"Let's wait for our boss," one of the employees told The Jakarta Post on Monday.