State Public Market Traders Ask For Jokowi's Protection To Review Revitalization Plans

Illustration. (Photo: Pixabay)

The State Market Sanji Mertha Merchant Association asked the Regent of Jembrana I Nengah Tamba and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani to review the State Public Market Development plan, on Jalan Ngurah Rai, Jembrana District, Jembrana Regency, Bali.

"We ask President Joko Widodo to help us traders, so that the State Apparatus can review and postpone the revitalization plan. Because it is very detrimental to traders," said Chairman of the Association of Traders at the Sanji Mertha State Market Gusti Putu Adnyana, Wednesday, July 5.

According to him, the revitalization of the State Public Market will have an impact on turning off the economy of 900 traders who have been depending on their livelihoods in trading in the market.

"In connection with this, we, the Sanji Mertha Pasar Negara Merchant Association, ask the Regent to be pleased to review the plan," he said.

Gusti continued, the rejection was due to several reasons that were very detrimental to traders. One of them is the area where new market buildings will be built by the Jembrana Regency Government, which is smaller than before.

"We reject the existence of the market building because the size of the area of the selling area from 3.5x4 M to 2x3 M, and the 54 square meter shop, became a 2x3 square meter kiosk kiosk, which was very detrimental to traders. What we need is not a modern market but a semi wholesale traditional market as it is today," he said.

Moreover, traders have never been involved and have never been given space for aspirations in the planning process for new market buildings.

"Tiba arrived through a letter from the Jembrana Regency Cooperatives, SMEs, Industry and Trade Office having to vacate the market location. (Kios & Lapak) No later than July 21, 2023," he added.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Sanji Mertha Traders Association, State Market HM Yunus, said the model for the modern market development plan to be built at that location was not representative for traders in Bali. Because it is not suitable and not on target.

"This has happened in several market development locations in Bali, which we can use as an example, namely, at Ijo Gading Market which we have in Jembrana, none of the traders have entered the market. Bayu Asri Singaraja Market is also the same and is now used as the Satpol PP office. Likewise at Gianyar Market, j the merchant does not want to return to his place because no buyers have entered," he said.

Yunus continued, the development of this market will have a very bad impact on the economy of the traders. Moreover, after COVID-19 destroyed the economy of the traders, it had to increase capital credit at the Bank.