Members Of The DPRD Denies Participating In Mixing The Case Of Shophouses Eating Roads In Pluit

Two workers dismantled the shophouse building which violated the rules for spatial planning at Pluit Karang Niaga, Penjaringan, North Jakarta, Tuesday (23/5/2023). (ANTARA

JAKARTA - DKI Jakarta DPRD member Gani Suwondo denied that he interfered in cases of violations of a number of shophouses that ate up roads in the Pluit area, North Jakarta. Gani is said to have interfered in this matter because he met the shophouse owners whose buildings were demolished by the DKI Satpol PP ranks. However, Gani's defense, he only accommodates the aspirations of the shop owner. "My goal is to listen to the complaints of the public, part of my aspirations as a council. So, the community asked me to see them, yes, I was present. That's my electoral district (dapil)," said Gani when contacted, Monday, May 29. Gani admitted that he agreed if the demolition of the building where the area was eating the road was put under control. However, he also demanded a solution from the government. This is because the extortion resulted in economic losses from shophouse owners to their workers. "It doesn't mean I agree that he committed the violation, no. But I just explained that there were violations, the rule stage, but the goal was the welfare of the people. Now because of the demolition, MSME traders cannot trade," he explained. Previously, the Head of RT 011/03 Pluit Riang Prasetya regretted that members of the legislature came to the shophouse owners on Jalan Niaga block Z4 Utara and South Z8, Pluit, North Jakarta who were suspected of violating Government Regulation Number 21 of 2021 concerning the Implementation of Spatial Planning. "I regret it because yesterday there was a group of people who came on behalf of one organization and I saw that there were two council members present, first from the DKI DPRD, the second from the DPR RI," said Riang, Friday, May 26. He admitted that he did not accept the council's visit because it highlighted the issue of shophouse tenants who considered themselves actors of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). According to him, MSME actors cannot be justified if in fact they open businesses over waterways and road shoulders. "Do not carry the name of MSMEs with violations. How is it possible for MSMEs to trade on the water channel, even trade on the shoulder of the road," said Riang. He emphasized that this had nothing to do with MSMEs, but more to the issue of violating the rules. He also regretted the demonstration by a number of parties on Wednesday (24/5) in the Pluit area because when the activity took place there were several people shouting insulting the good name and profession as the head of the RT.

Riang showed a photo of the shop renter who was considered the provocateur of the demonstration on Wednesday (24/5). After showing the photo, Riang again showed another photo showing the suspected provocateurs meeting Gani Suwondo and Darmadi Durianto in front of one of the shophouses, Thursday (25/4). "This person (while showing the photo again) is not the owner of the shophouse, not the renter of the shophouse, he is only the merchant who rents at the shophouse. How can he join in and provoke the demonstrators," said Riang.