Traders protest at City Hall

Traders protest at City Hall

JAKARTA: Hundreds of vendors from Kenari market in Central Jakarta rallied at City Hall on Thursday to seek help in their dispute with the market management.

The vendors urged the city market authority, PD Pasar Jaya, which formerly managed the market, to step in and help resolve the dispute.

The vendors charged that PT Bina Citra Tataswasti, which has managed the market since 1998, has sealed off their kiosks.

The company took the step after the traders refused to pay money the company said was owed it, which was as much as 70 percent of the market value of the kiosks, plus interest.

There are 350 vendors and 450 kiosks in the market, which was built in 1973 by PD Pasar Jaya. In 1997, PD Pasar Jaya, in cooperation with PT Bina Citra, renovated the market.

Sumarwan, one of the vendors, said traders were allowed by the company to open their kiosks after making a payment of 30 percent of the market price of the kiosk, which was Rp 15 million per square meter. And he claimed that the management had never asked for any more money, or made mention of debts owed by the vendors.

The traders were therefore surprised when they were asked to pay another 40 percent of the market price of the kiosks, plus 2 percent monthly interest before May 24. The vendors asked that they be allowed to make the payment in 36 installment, and without interest. --Antara