A Student is looking around for a place to eat in Pajak USU, the business zone inside the campus of North Sumatra University. JP/Apriadi Gunawan
Looking for a place to spend your spare time in between classes? Most students of North Sumatra University (USU) usually go to Pajak USU to hang out.
Surrounded by six faculties - economy, law, literature, engineering, mathematics and natural sciences and social and political sciences - and the library, Pajak USU or Pajus offers students affordable food, drinks and many kinds of unique knick-knacks in its rows of kiosks.
"I like spending time in Pajus," a student from the Arabic department, Zulfikar Hasibuan said. "Whatever your cravings are, you can find indulge them, and it's cheap too."
He said that with Rp 40,000 (US$4) he could buy two plates of fried rice, fried dumplings and several other beverages.
Built in 2003, Pajus now has 110 kiosks and has become a business area at the campus.
Seller Rajab said he usually earns Rp 1.2 million a day, citing that the profit in Pajus was much higher than other places.
"I've been a seller for years in so many places, but only here I can earn better. Here, we always have buyers, the students of USU," he told The Jakarta Post.
To open the kiosk in Pajus, Rajab said that the cost was different from one to another, ranging from Rp 5 million to Rp 8.5 million, depending on the location.
"But here, the system is different. We only need to pay the required fee once and we can do the business as long as we like," Rajab said.
"If one day, however, the land of Pajus is used by the campus for development, we need to be ready to leave."
One of Pajus' founders, Jhon Tafbu Ritonga, also the head of the School of Economy, said that when it was first built, sellers were free from charge.
"But to develop the entrepreneurial spirit, they are now charged for sanitary, security and other development fees," he said.
Jhon cited that the total sales from Pajus reached at least Rp 1.2 billion each month, but would keep increasing due to a high number of buyers.
Apart from USU students, lots of students from other schools also come to USU to hang out, significantly contributing to an increased profit for the sellers.
"Pajus has bright prospects so it needs to continue development and management," Jhon said.
