MSME Actors Admit That They Are Unable To Face Economic Burden If The Raperda For Non-Smoking Areas Is Ratified

JAKARTA - The rejection of the Raperda for Non-Smoking Areas (KTR) has strengthened again. The MSME players consisting of street vendors, market traders, and warteg business actors visited the DKI Jakarta DPRD building, Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta.

They voiced their concerns about the articles limiting the sale of cigarettes which were considered to threaten the economic sustainability of the small people. They unfurled a banner that read "Rejects Ranperda KTR DKI Jakarta Killing the Economy!" and "Lawan! This is about the contents of the People's Stomach!".

The Board of Trustees of the All-Indonesian Market Traders Association (APPSI), Ngadiran, said that the draft regulation finalized by the Special Committee for the Raperda of the DKI Jakarta DPRD KTR contains a number of provisions that will directly hit merchants' income, especially those that depend on selling cigarettes as one of the stable-valued commodities.

"The article prohibiting the sale of cigarettes within a radius of 200 meters from educational units and children's playgrounds, to the expansion of non-smoking areas in the people's market is tantamount to eliminating the livelihoods of market traders, which are increasingly eroded," said Ngadiran, Thursday, November 20.

Currently, Perumda Pasar Jaya manages 153 markets, with 146 of them still operating. The number of traders reaches 110,480 people. Ngadiran emphasized that most of them depend on daily income from the sale of necessities, including cigarettes.

"There are one hundred thousand traders who are directly affected by the prohibition of the Ranperda KTR. Traders are market assets that should be protected, empowered, not suppressed by unfair rules," said Ngadiran.

He asked the Provincial Government and DKI DPRD to exclude the people's market from the category 'public places' in the implementation of total KTR. According to him, traditional markets have different socio-economic characters and cannot be equated with other public facilities.

The voice of rejection also came from street vendors. The General Chairperson of the Street Vendors Association, Ali Mahsun, urged the Regional Regulation Formation Agency (Bapemperda) of the DKI DPRD to postpone the ratification of the Raperda KTR which was considered unrealistic for MSMEs.

"We reject the articles that regulate the sale and purchase of cigarettes within the DKI Jakarta Raperda. Both selling retail cigarettes and the zoning of 200 meters from educational centers, prohibiting the prohibition of smoking and the prohibition of smoking in market areas, shops and restaurants. We are here today to tap on the conscience of the people's representatives. This is a stomach affair!" said Ali Mahsun.

He said that many MSME actors have been surviving in the midst of operational costs and sluggish people's purchasing power. The additional rules that limit them make their position even more difficult.

"Please heart the conscience of the people's representatives, so as not to impose their will. Do not in the name of power, personal ego and groups make decisions that trouble the people's fate," he explained.

A similar rejection was conveyed by representatives of the warteg community who also went to the DPRD. Zidan, a spokesman for the Warteg Merah Putih Community, emphasized that micro-enterprises are the group most vulnerable to the impact of the regulation.

"Once again, please cancel all articles that regulate the sale and purchase of cigarettes. Can imagine how our livelihood will be. We cannot afford to be burdened by Ranperda KTR. We just want to survive," added Zidan.

This rejection was followed by Kowarteg Nusantara, Warteg Merah Putih Community, APPSI, PANDAWAKARTA, and UMKM Rewojong. They hope that the DPRD will reconsider the draft policy by looking at the reality of the field.