Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Minister of Public Works and Public Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono, has affirmed that the renovation of Purwodadi Market in North Bengkulu, Bengkulu Province, will begin in August 2023.

"The construction process will take about nine months, and the total budget will be around Rp110 billion (approximately US$7.32 million)," Hadimuljono stated while accompanying President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) during a visit to the market on Friday.

In the early morning of April 4, 2021, a fire engulfed the market, causing damage to many kiosks.

He explained that the market's renovation, which will have the capacity to house up to 1,004 kiosks in its final form, aims to improve the people's economy and welfare.

"The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing is not only building big infrastructures like tollways and dams, but we are also focusing on more public infrastructures, such as markets and schools," he elaborated.

Hadimuljono stated that the renovation will highlight the market's function as a space for people to meet and trade, making the facility safe, clean, comfortable, and neatly arranged, and no longer shabby.

The project will be implemented by the Bengkulu Settlement Facility Center under the Directorate General of Human Settlements, he remarked.

The market's Block A will be designated for wet markets and non-food products, while Block B will be for dry markets and non-food products, and Block C for fast foods. Additionally, the market will be equipped with parking lots and a plaza, he stated.

The renovation of Purwodadi Market aligns with Presidential Regulation Number 43 of 2019, which focuses on the development, rehabilitation, or renovation of public markets, tertiary education institutions, Islamic tertiary education institutions, as well as elementary and middle-level education.

The project is expected to help the people by providing a comfortable place to conduct their transactions, thereby contributing to improving the local economy.

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Translator: Indra Arief Pribadi, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Anton Santoso
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