Vendors defy order to close their business

JAKARTA (JP): More than 100 street vendors whose kiosks were demolished earlier this week returned on Thursday to the "strategic" site in front of the Senen market.

Dozens of vendors have rebuilt their kiosks on the sidewalk in front of the market, defying a ruling issued by the city administration which bans vendors from using public facilities in a bid to maintain cleanliness and order in the capital.

Despite a warning from City Public Order officials, vendors said they planned to resume business on Friday, with some in operation hours after their kiosks were demolished on Tuesday.

The demolition was carried out to restore the streets and sidewalks for public use, Rustam Effendi, the secretary of the Central Jakarta mayoralty, said following the crackdown.

Most vendors said they would adopt "hide-and-seek" tactics to do business in the area until the city administration offers a space they consider to be strategic for selling their goods.

Anwar Nainggolan, a vendor who set up his kiosk in the area in 1997, said on Thursday his business had run well, enabling him to hire two assistants. Another vendor, Basri, who started from scratch 16 years ago, can now employ five workers.

The city administration has asked the vendors to move their kiosks to an area behind the Senen market, which was rejected by the vendors on grounds that it was dirty and smelly because it was near a chicken market.

"By forcing us to move, the city officials are actually killing our business," said Anwar, who claimed that he represented his fellow vendors.

Joni, a doll seller, said that vendors should pay, besides a Rp 300,000 monthly fee, between Rp 1 million and Rp 3.5 million in advance for each kiosk in the new location.

"I would personally be willing to relocate my kiosk if only I could afford to pay the rent," Joni said, explaining that he earned an average of Rp 400,000 monthly.

Vendors said they were willing to comply with the city's ruling as long as they were provided with kiosks similar to those built on the sidewalk in front of the Christian University of Indonesia (UKI) in East Jakarta and at the Pulogadung bus terminal. (06)