Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu recently traveled to border areas in East Nusa Tenggara and Papua Provinces to inspect traditional markets there. 

The visits to the country`s remote borders demonstrated that Minister Pangestu does not only think globally, but also acts locally and cares for the welfare of the people at the grass root level.

Last July 2, she visited Kewapante traditional market in Sikka District, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province, which shares a border with Timor Leste.

The Kewapante market was being developed into a traditional market pilot project, Trade Minister Mari E Pangestu said in a press statement in early July. 

The trade ministry will support local traders and the market`s manager for three years, until 2013. Strong commitment and hard work, however, were needed to make the program successful, she stated.

The 2.5 ha-wide Kewapante market which was established in 1974, is currently accommodating around 800 traders and being managed by 20 people. The market needs a major renovation as it has lacks space to accommodate all the traders properly. 

Kewapante was the tenth traditional market recently visited by Trade Minister Pangestu, after nine others, namely Pangururan in Samosir (North Sumatra), Lambocca in Bantaeng and Pattalassang in Takalar (South Sulawesi), Grabag in Purworejo and Cokro Kembang in Klaten (Central Java), Minulyo in Pacitan (East Java), Agung in Denpasar (Bali), Panorama in Bengkulu, and Skow in Jayapura (Papua Province).

During her stay in NTT, the minister also visited Mato`ain traditional market in Atambua Belu, near the border of Indonesia and Timor Leste. The Mato`ain traditional market has not been included in the pilot project program this year, but it might be in the future.

Earlier, on June 25, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu visited Jayapura`s Skow market which is included in the national program to revitalize traditional markets.

"Skow market is the ninth of ten traditional markets throughout Indonesia which will be revitalized to become model traditional markets," the minister told the press after visiting the market which is located not far from the Indonesia-PNG border.

The Papuan market has been selected because of its strategic location, namely near the border with PNG, and it is expected to help boost Indonesia`s exports to PNG where in 2010 transactions were recorded at US$202,482.52.

"The location of Skow market is very strategic and has potential to increase exports, because the majority of buyers in the market are residents of Vanimo, a PGN province which shares a border with Indonesia," she said. 

The government plans to revitalize hundreds of traditional markets in the country to allow them to function more optimally. At least 200 traditional markets could be revitalized under the revised 2011 state budget.

The revitalization of traditional markets would cost an estimated Rp1 billion each. To that end, the government would propose revitalization funds in the revised 2011 state budget.

Neddy Rafinaldi Halim, an assistant for marketing and business networks to the cooperatives, small and medium businesses minister, said in Jakarta recently that revitalizing traditional markets was an important program because its benefit could directly be felt by the public. 

The 2011 state budget only allocated funds for development and revitalization of six traditional markets, namely two markets in backward or remote areas and four markets in disaster-hit areas, namely Sleman (Yogyakarta), Magelang (Central Java), Wasior (Papua), and Mentawai (West Sumatra), he said. 

"We will give priority to revitalization of two more traditional markets in remote areas using the ministry`s regular funds. The two markets are located in Praya, Central Lombok (West Nusa Tenggara) and Kayong Utara (West Kalimantan)," he said. 

He expected at least 200 traditional markets could be revitalized under the revised 2011 state budget. 

The government has planned revitalization of a total of 13,450 traditional markets throughout Indonesia which accommodate 12,650,000 small traders. 

"We hope that the traditional market development could create more jobs and contribute to the national economic growth," Minister Pangestu said in 2009. 

The government was expected to provide economic stimulus funds worth Rp210 billion for renovation of 31 traditional markets in 20 districts/cities three years ago. 

"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, said in 2009. 

"Many traditional markets are very old. As long as it`s not an empty land, we call it renovation," he said, adding that Traditional markets with serious damages would get funds worth between Rp10 billion and Rp20 billion each. 

In Jakarta alone, revitalization work of 151 traditional markets is expected to be completed by 2015.

"Of 151 traditional markets existing in Jakarta, 59 have been revitalized, both their physical buildings and management. All are expected to be completed in 2015," Djangga Lubis, president director of Jakarta`s traditional market management company, said last year, when accompanying Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu during a visit to the Glodok traditional market in western Jakarta

Source: ANTARA