Karaoke Place In Dargo Market, Semarang, Jamur, DPRD Urges To Return To Its Original Function

Chairman of Commission B DPRD Semarang City Joko Widodo. BETWEEN/HO-Pribadi

The Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) of Semarang City urged the local government to restore the function of Dargo Semarang Market as a center for economic activity, not as a place of entertainment.

Chairman of Commission B of the Semarang City DPRD, Joko Widodo, in Semarang, Friday, highlighted the many karaoke places that are mushrooming in the Dargo Market area today.

According to him, the market should function mainly as a center for economic activity, not as an entertainment venue, including Dargo Market, which was once a center for rice and precious stone trading.

Apart from the karaoke business at Dargo Market, it has a permit or not, he said, the market must become a center for trading activities.

"The market function is for traders. Not for entertainment venues," he said, during a hearing with the relevant regional apparatus organizations (OPD) discussing Dargo Market.

From the related OPD report, Joko mentioned that the entertainment tax for karaoke places in Dargo Market was last entered in 2020.

So far, he said only levies from Dargo Market karaoke entered the Trade Office, but it was over in September 2024.

Therefore, he asked the Semarang City Culture and Tourism Office to think about future solutions for the karaoke business actors.

"So, there is input, if the market is for karaoke, the impact in the market environment itself is negative from karaoke. We see that alcohol (alcoholic drinks) is circulating," he said.

Meanwhile, member of Commission B of the Semarang City DPRD, Mararas Apuwara, added that this hearing was based on public complaints regarding the management of Dargo Market which changed its function to entertainment venues.

Moreover, he said, it turned out that the entertainment venues that mushroomed in the market located next to the Sobokartti Art Building, which is also a cultural heritage, did not have a permit.

"The public complained to us. They were disturbed by that. From that basis, we held a meeting. We agreed to discipline it because in terms of legality did not enter," he said.

Furthermore, he said, the DPRD recommended the Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP) to carry out the control expected to be carried out before the month of Ramadan.

He said that the Semarang City Government had actually planned to revitalize Dargo Market which would be intended for ex-PKL Barito traders.

"Hopefully, the quiet Dargo Market can be crowded again and become the iconic market of Semarang City, it can help the surrounding community. The economy is also increasing," said Mararas.