Tanah Abang JPM Traders Protest Kiosk Rental Rise, Heru Budi Doesn't Interfere

Photo: Diah Ayu-VOI

The Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta admitted that he could not interfere in solving the problem of kiosk traders at the Tanah Abang Multipurpose Crossing Bridge (JPM).

Heru emphasized that the issue of JPM Tanah Abang traders is the authority of the regional-owned enterprise (BUMD) Perumda Pembangunan Sarana Jaya. Heru does not want the DKI Provincial Government to intervene.

"Sarana Jaya will ask later, yes, because this is B2B (business to business). The company process, I cannot interfere," said Heru in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, Thursday, October 10.

Heru admitted that he had received a report regarding traders' protests at JPM Tanah Abang regarding the increase in kiosk rental rates. Heru admitted that he could only instruct Sarana Jaya to resolve the issue.

"I have also received a report on the bridge ( kiosk trader). Yes, the Jaya facilities will be resolved later," explained Heru.

Today, a number of stall traders at JPM Tanah Abang held an action to voice disappointment with Perumda Sarana Jaya.

JPM trader representative Jimmy said his party did not accept the increase in kiosk rentals. Given that the size of the kiosks they rent is not that big.

"We consider the service value to be too high. Why do we consider it too high? Because in all places, both block A, block B and block K, the value is not as big as the one on JPM," said Jimmy.

Now, Sarana Jaya charges the rental fee to Rp1,043,000 per one stall per month. If you can't afford it, the kiosks of the traders are sealed. Currently, there are about 200 stalls that have been sealed.

"From there we shouted. We wrote, we asked for an audience. But it was all ignored by them," he said.

Therefore, the traders of JPM Tanah Abang demanded that the rental fee be lowered to the previous one, which was IDR 800 thousand.

"So, our demands are that simple. We are not weird, because we are all traders," he added.