Complaints Of Entrepreneurs To Jokowi: Visitors Are Lazy To Come To The Mall Because Last Order At 18.00

JAKARTA - Shopping center entrepreneurs have complained about the imposition of restrictions on community activities (PPKM) in Java and Bali. The PPKM policy caused visits to shopping centers in DKI Jakarta to fall back by around 8 percent to 32 percent.

Whereas before the PPKM was implemented, the level of visits or occupancy to shopping centers was already at 40 percent from the normal condition before the pandemic.

The head of the Jakarta Shopping Center Management Association (APPBI), Ellen Hidayat, said the decrease in the number of visitors was due to restrictions on shopping center operating hours, which only lasted 19.00 WIB.

Moreover, said Ellen, only 25 percent is allowed to dine in or eat at the place, plus the 75 percent work from home (WFH) rule and only 25 percent are allowed to work from office (WFO). According to Ellen, this condition forces shopping centers and tenants to reduce labor.

"This policy has a very broad impact on shopping centers. From the results of our monitoring since January 11, 2020 until today, the traffic which was 40 percent has only reached an average of around 32 percent. In fact, some shopping centers reached 30 percent. So it dropped around 8 percent, "he said, a virtual press conference, Monday, January 18.

Not only that, said Ellen, around 15 percent of retailers and tenants also stopped leasing because the lease had expired, so that in the future there would be vacancies in shopping centers. In fact, according to him, shopping centers have always been disciplined in implementing health protocols.

"Until now, we need to emphasize that shopping centers in DKI Jakarta are not a COVID-19 cluster. Meanwhile, the regulations that are always imposed on us, whenever any regulations appear, every PSBB or PPKM is always the shopping center becomes the target of shooting," he said.

Meanwhile, said Ellen, restaurants that stand alone outside the shopping center are still allowed to deliver or take away until 24.00 WIB and so on. However, shopping centers have to close at 19.00 WIB so that it loses peak season.

"People say that dinner is between 19.00 or 20.00 and if it is closed at 19.00, it means that the last order is already at 18.00. So like it or not, customers are in a hurry, so they are reluctant to come to the shopping center," he said.

Ellen asked the government to conduct a more precise study in determining the COVID-19 cluster, so that when monitoring or handling the spread of COVID-19 it can be more targeted, and also there is justice in implementing various policies.

"So that when handling, controlling and supervising it really is right on target," he said.