"For the year 2015, we have a budget (Rp997.5 billion) to revitalize 469 traditional markets," Director General of Internal Trade of the Trade Ministry Srie Agustina stated during a 2014 year-end reflection discussion held here on Tuesday.
Agustina said that during the past four years, her ministry has revitalized 560 traditional markets across the country.
The number of markets that were revitalized was relatively small as compared to the total number of traditional markets in the country, which stood at about ten thousand.
Of the 469 markets to be revitalized, 37 will be financed with the funds derived from the Trade Ministry while the remaining 335 located in various districts and cities will utilize the money obtained from the special allocation funds.
Agustina noted that traditional markets located in the eastern Indonesian regions and in border areas or outlying islands will be given priority in the revitalization program.
She said that of the about 9.9 thousand traditional markets, some 3.7 thousand were over 25 years old.
Based on the results of a survey conducted by AC Nielsen in 2013, the number of traditional markets in Indonesia continued to decline. In 2007, traditional markets numbered 13,550, which dropped to 13,450 in 2009 and declined further to 9,950 in 2011.
She stated that the traditional markets in Indonesia declined by 8.1 percent, while modern markets grew by about 31.4 percent.
She explained that her ministry will not only carry out physical revitalization but will also improve their functioning wherein the revitalization process will help to form traditional markets, which serve as hubs for all upstream distribution networks.
As per data for the year 2011, about 30 million people or 12.5 percent of the Indonesian population earned a living as traders at traditional markets.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
