Surabaya City Government Asked To Relax Mall Visitor Restrictions

Illustration of mall/Antara

SURABAYA – Member of Commission B for Economic Affairs of the Surabaya City DPRD Alfian Limardi asked the Surabaya City government, East Java, to relax the restrictions on mall visitors from 25 percent to 30-40 percent. Alfian assessed that the relaxation of visitor restrictions was in order to create a balance between operational costs and the turnover of tenant owners.

"This is so that the turnover and operational costs of the tenant owners are balanced," said Alfian Limardi quoting Antara, Sunday, August 15.

Alfian said that his party hopes that the operation of the mall in Surabaya can revive the retail economic sector which has fallen due to the extension of the implementation of restrictions on community activities (PPKM).

It's just that, he continued, mall visitors are still limited to 25 percent, while on the other hand tenant owners have to bear large operational costs for almost a month and more holidays because there was an emergency PPKM in July to August.

"Although the mall is operating, is the turnover of the tenant owners balanced with operational costs. If it is not balanced, yes, it's useless, meaning that the tenant owners are still at a loss," he said.

Alfian admitted that he often exchanged ideas with cafe and restaurant entrepreneurs in Surabaya. The complaint of the majority of entrepreneurs is the same, namely, it is difficult to bear the operational costs of electricity.

In fact, he continued, a number of entrepreneurs who have outlets in malls have since stopped operating because PPKM has complained about electricity payments. Although the electricity meter has changed because the restaurants and cafes in the mall are not operating due to PPKM, the electricity subscription costs have not changed.

Imagine, continued Alfian, if restaurant and cafe entrepreneurs had to pay a monthly electricity subscription of at least Rp11 million, while the restaurant business was closed because the mall was also not operating. Of course, this word makes restaurant and cafe entrepreneurs dizzy when paying for electricity.

"If the mall is allowed to operate again with a record that visitors have been vaccinated. So if possible the number of visitors should not only be limited to 25 percent, but must be 30-40 percent so that the turnover and operational costs are balanced," he said.

Regarding the operation of malls, although PPKM Level 4 was relaxed, Alfian explained, from the beginning PPKM actually had an idea how the Surabaya City Government would share with the central government, so that malls would remain open with a record that visitors must have been vaccinated, even mall employees must also be vaccinated.

"That way, the acceleration of the COVID-19 national vaccination program will be realized immediately. Because we know that the private sector can also run a vaccination program. So we don't just expect from the Health Service. This means that the public has many opportunities to vaccinate against COVID-19," he said.