Barito Market Vendors Reject Relocation, Pramono Postpones Heritage Flag Park Construction

Barito Animal Market Traders (DOK Diah Ayu/VOI)

JAKARTA - Since this morning, some traders from the Barito Animal Market have held a demonstration to refuse to be relocated to temporary stalls. This relocation was carried out by the DKI Provincial Government to build the Pusaka Flag Park, which includes the Barito Market area.

Initially, DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung was scheduled to inaugurate the groundbreaking for the construction of the Pusaka Flag Park today. However, until this afternoon, the groundbreaking was postponed.

Special Staff to the Governor of DKI Jakarta for Social Communication, Chico Hakim confirmed the postponement. However, Chico revealed the reason because Pramono's work agenda was quite solid today.

"Waiting for the governor's direction, because of his busy agenda. He has not been informed about the rescheduling," Chico said in a short message, Friday, August 8.

Chico also admitted that he did not know whether Pramono would meet the traders who were still being relocated from Barito Market.

However, what traders need to know is that the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government is preparing a permanent and very adequate land as a thematic fauna market for our brothers and sisters.

"While waiting for the land to be ready, traders are allowed to choose to trade temporarily in dozens of markets owned by Perumda Pasar Jaya for free, even the transfer is borne by the provincial government," explained Chico.

Moreover, Chico revealed that the location of Barito Market, which is near Langsat Park, Ayodya Park, and Leuser Park, which will be connected to the Heritage Flag Park, was originally an interim location (LSem).

From the start, the traders of Pasar Barito also knew and agreed on provisions, where they should be willing to move without the obligation of the provincial government to provide land or relocation elsewhere.

"Regarding demonstrations, of course, we respect the form of expression in a democratic climate, with the hope that of course, we will continue to maintain order and not be infiltrated or provoked by parties who are not part of the traders themselves," he explained.

Separately, the Head of the DKI Jakarta Industry, Trade, Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, Elisabeth Ratu Rante Allo, revealed that his party offered a number of promises to traders of Pasar Barito to be willing to be relocated.

Among them, traders will be temporarily moved to 10 markets managed by Perumda Pasar Jaya and released from choosing relocation locations according to their convenience. In addition, traders also received a three-month discount on kiosk rentals at the relocation site.

"These steps are taken so that the structuring process does not only side with the interests of urban spatial planning, but also ensures the business continuity of the traders," Ratu told reporters.

As long as traders sell in temporary locations, the DKI Provincial Government will prepare the Fauna Jakarta Center in Lenteng Agung which is predicted to be a center for healthy, educational, and modern pet trade.

"Further traders will be facilitated to open a business at the Fauna Jakarta Center which is built on an area of approximately 7,000 square meters in the Lenteng Agung area," said Ratu.

Later, the Fauna Jakarta Center will become a hygienic and environmentally friendly modern animal market, accompanied by animal and conservation education rides, educational tourist destinations that combine entertainment and environmental literacy, as well as an organized pet MSME zone.

"Sentra Fauna Jakarta is expected not only to be a place for transactions, but also a fun learning and recreation room for families and animal lovers," explained Ratu.