The program to develop or renovate five thousand traditional markets was announced by President Joko Widodo when he laid the foundation stone for the construction of the Pasar Manis Market in Purwokerto, Central Java, in 2014.
This means that every year from 2015 until the end of the current term of office of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), the government has to renovate or build a thousand traditional markets.
However, so far, the government has built or renovated 2,910 units of traditional markets. Thus, in the remaining two years of Jokowi`s current term of office, the government still has to develop some 2,090 units to meet its target by 2019.
Logistics and Retribution Facility director of the Trade Ministry Sihar Pohan said on Friday that until 2019, his ministry had a target to build 5,000 markets in Indonesia.
"Until 2017, the Trade Ministry has built 2,910 traditional markets throughout Indonesia and is targeted to reach 5,000 markets by 2019," said Sihar Pohan in Pontianak, West Kalimatan.
Trade Minister Enggartiaso Lukita was quoted as saying by bisnis.com, a news website, in October last year that the government had set a target to build one thousand traditional markets in 2017.
The funds needed to renovate the traditional markets in 2017 are about Rp3.7 trillion. Lukita said the Trade Ministry had an obligation to revitalize 272 traditional markets of which 52 were re-allocation projects from 2016 due to a budget efficiency drive. The remaining 728 units will be built using allocations from the Special Fund Budget (DAK).
According to Sihar Pohan, the construction or renovation of five thousand traditional markets has been undertaken since the beginning of the Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla (Jokowi-JK) administration. "The construction of the five thousands traditional markets is the commitment of President Joko Widodo.
The President wants to overhaul the traditional `muddy? markets into convenient markets for the community and traders," he asserted.
The development of the community markets is considered to be very important because the modern markets in Indonesia are growing fast and the government wants the traditional markets to improve to compete better with the modern markets.
"We want a healthy competition between the traditional markets and semi-modern markets, so people do not hesitate to go to the community`s market," he said.
Head of West Kalimantan trade service Muhammad Ridwan said the central government through the Ministry of Trade provides ample help for the development of traditional markets.
"In accordance with the President of the Republic of Indonesia, the government wants to realize a clean and comfortable market for the people and traders," said Ridwan.
In line with that, Ridwan also hopes that the small traders in West Kalimantan can develop their business with the facilities that have been made available by the government. "In the future, small-scale traders can upgrade themselves to become big traders because they get good trading facilities through this traditional market development program," said Ridwan.
The revitalization of the 5,000 markets during the 2015 - 2019 period is mainly aimed at markets that are 25 years and older, markets which were damaged due to disasters and social conflicts, markets located in less advantaged villages, markets in border areas, areas which lack trade facilities, and areas which have big trade potential.
Through the Trade Minister`s Regulation in 2015 on the "Development and the Management of Trade Facility," the government has set four guidelines for the revitalization of traditional markets.
They are: Physical revitalization, management revitalization, socio-cultural revitalization, and economic revitalization.
Meanwhile, the Governor of DKI Jakarta Anies Baswedan inaugurated five traditional markets in Jakarta on Friday-- Pasar Senen`s Block III, Pasar Sinar, Pasar Bidadari, Pasar Cawang Lot, and Karet Belakang.
"We see that one of the needs of Jakarta`s residents is easy access to basic necessities at affordable prices in the market. To cater to these demands, Jakarta`s markets should be efficient and offer necessities at an economical price," Baswedan stressed during the inauguration in Pasar Senen, Central Jakarta.
Hence, the costs borne by sellers and buyers, as well as the overall expenses will reduce.
Improvements in the markets are now underway, he explained. "I am also especially grateful to Pasar Jaya Market`s director, who has completed the renovation and reconstruction of Pasar Senen`s Block III, which was damaged by a fire in 2014," Baswedan noted.
The governor expressed hope that the commercial sector would work in favor of the citizens of Jakarta to ensure proper interaction.
"It is interesting that traditional markets are more than just places for conducting economic activities. They are places for people to interact rather than being like robots that are just buying and selling," Baswedan observed.
(A014/INE
Edited by INE/B003
(T.A014/B/KR-BSR/B003)
Reporter: Andi Abdussalam
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
