GOVERNMENT SERIOUS ABOUT UPGRADING TRADITIONAL MARKET

The traditional market played a strategic role in national economy particularly in opening employment opportunity and increasing people’s income. While functioning as transaction center, the market also played an important role in promoting people’s economy and small business. The traditional market was a forum for small traders to run business and make profit.

The traditional market had its plus point, i.e. bargaining was part of its culture so there was close emotional relationship between buyer and seller learned to trust each other. The traditional market offered cheaper goods and special commodities not to be found elsewhere.

In view of the important role of traditional market, the Government through the Ministry of Trade was resolved to seriously build traditional markets. The Ministry of Trade reported they had injected fund of around Rp1.9 trillion to revitalize 53 pilot markets and 394 non-pilot houses from 2011 to 2013.

The Ministry of Trade Gita Wiryawan disclosed on Thursday [21/11] that the Government had plans to revitalize traditional markets and enliven people’s business. Market rehabilitation included enhancing marketplace management and promoting basic knowledge for traders. Gita said that after being revitalized, the market was expected to serve as barometer for price stabilization, availability of basic commodities and to play the strategic role of promoting people’s welfare and contribute to developing national economy.

Gita stated that beside being trade center, the marketplace also played an important role in promoting people’s economy and small traders the marketplace also ensured stock sufficiency, stabilized price and increased farmers income. Revitalization of traditional market means to synergize all the potential resources and to integrate all aspects comprehensively whereby to strengthen competitiveness of the traditional market.

The Traditional Market Revitalization Plan was also beneficial to small traders. Gita said the traditional market revitalization plan had improved and expanded people’s economic infra-structure in the regions in tandem with development spreading effort and opening employment opportunities as well as poverty elimination. “We keep on enhancing development so the traditional market could be more competitive and free of the negative image” the Minister said.

Gita admitted that behind its in important role, the traditional market also had its negative image in the eyes of the public. Traditional markets were perceived as wet, untidy, slum and stnking. The undesirable condition made customers turn to modern markets. It spite of its more expensive price, customers tend to choose modern markets as modern markets understood customers’ need.

The bad image of traditional market was on account of poor management including lack of awareness of order and cleanliness, maintenance of physical infra structures, criminal disturbances, lack of quality control, limited public facilities, low hospitability to customers, and messy window dressing. Apparently marketplace managers were not doing their job well. The Government was stimulated to reform traditional markets physically and mentally all over the country so the good condition of traditional marketplaces could be felt and benefited by customers or even the tenant themselves. 

Business News - November 27, 2013