Yogyakarta Trade Office Seeks Solution for Disabled Cracker Seller Barred from Ngasem Market
Disabled rambak cracker seller Gilang Rizki has voiced his distress after being asked to stop trading at Pasar Ngasem in Yogyakarta due to a ban on unlicensed street vendors. The city’s Trade Office (Disdag) is now seeking a solution.
Gilang, who is visually impaired, was able to sell his goods in front of the market gate. He said market officers approached him on Saturday (18/7) and politely informed him of the prohibition on unlicensed traders. “Yesterday I was told. Yes, someone came, like an officer from there. I was told, ‘Excuse me, Mas. Actually, unlicensed trading is no longer allowed, how about finding another place?’,” Gilang explained when contacted on Sunday (19/7/2026). “I just kept quiet, I thought, finding another place that is busy is rare nowadays,” he continued.
Gilang admitted he has been warned several times before. He understands that unlicensed vendors are banned at Pasar Ngasem, but the visually impaired man says he has no other choice. “Actually, it applies to all vendors, Mas. Not just me, I mean all unlicensed ones. Yes, indeed it is prohibited, to keep the area clean of unlicensed vendors,” he said. “Most of them are able-bodied, Mas. I am the only disabled one. My livelihood depends solely on this for now. Honestly, when I was banned, I did feel quite burdened,” Gilang added.
Gilang stated that Pasar Ngasem is his mainstay for earning a living, as his goods always sell well there. He previously sold his rambak crackers by walking around, but that method has recently yielded no results. Selling in the Malioboro area is now impossible, and his efforts to sell via social media have also been unsuccessful. “I sell rambak, Mas. I am also starting on TikTok, but it is slow and takes time. So offline sales are still ongoing,” Gilang said. “One tube contains 50 packs. This year, it is not certain they will sell out. That is why I persist there,” he explained.
He feels aggrieved by the ban but stressed he does not want pity; he just wants to earn a living. He cited the policy in Malioboro where unlicensed buskers were banned but later provided with a stage. “Personally, if I am banned, I do feel quite burdened, because as we know, disabled people find it very hard to get work. That place is busy. Even if it is busy, this year sales cannot be guaranteed like previous years,” he said. “Malioboro also has bans. Vendors walking around are actually not allowed, but it is strange that buskers are given a place,” Gilang complained.
Head of the People’s Market Division at the Yogyakarta City Trade Office, Gunawan Nugroho Utomo, confirmed that officers had persuasively informed Gilang of the rules while he was selling at Ngasem on Saturday (18/7). “Because the regulations do not permit hawkers to enter the market, the security officers gave a polite explanation that hawkers are not allowed inside the Pasar Ngasem area,” he clarified. “The vendor was escorted to the front entrance to wait for a pick-up. That is indeed the rule for hawkers,” Gunawan added.
Despite this, Gunawan said his office will try to find a solution for disabled vendors like Gilang. The matter will be discussed further internally. “We will try to help, if possible, with special facilitation for our disabled friends. We will soon try to assist with a facilitation policy,” he stated. “Perhaps we will try to discuss the technicalities internally within the department first, and then with related regional apparatus organisations,” Gunawan concluded.