Govt allocates Rp 210 b to revamp traditional markets

The Jakarta Post  | Tue, 03/17/2009 9:38 PM  

The government will provide economic stimulus funds worth Rp210 billion for renovation of 31 traditional markets in 20 districts/cities, a trade ministry's official said as reported by Antara news agency on Tuesday. 

"The 210-billion budget is from the budgetary project funding lists for stimulus. Meanwhile from our (trade ministry's) program, the 2009 budget drafted in 2008 is Rp100 billion. So, the total funds (for market renovations) will be Rp310 billion," Subagyo, the trade ministry's domestic trade director general. 

Traditional markets with serious damages would get funds worth between Rp10 billion and Rp20 billion each, he said. 

"Many traditional markets are very old. As long as it's not an empty land, we call it renovation," he said. 

The market renovation program financed with the economic stimulus funds must be completed in October 2009 at the latest. 

The market renovations would be conducted moderately. "The construction will not reach four floors, but it's just two floors," he said. 

After the renovation, the local authorities must give priorities to traders who did businesses in the old markets, to get places in renovated markets, he said. 

The government launched a Rp73.3 trillion fiscal stimulus package on March 1 to tackle the looming impact of the global financial crisis.