The Surabaya city administration has officially closed the Dolly red-light district and have aired plans to turn the brothel into a trade center. Meanwhile, sex workers are still offering services at discount prices.

Mayor Tri '€œRisma'€ Rismaharini said her administration had set aside Rp 36 billion (US$3.05 million) to acquire land in the Putat Jaya subdistrict in Dolly.

'€œThe funds will be used to acquire the brothels there. Later, we will inspect the locations. We plan to build a trade center to help affected residents rebound [from the loss of business],'€ Risma told journalists on Friday.

The Dolly area is home to 51 brothels, 311 pimps and 1,187 sex workers. The city administration, through the Social Services Agency, has earmarked Rp 8 billion in the budget to compensate the sex workers and pimps.

Risma said her administration would also provide compensation in the form of working contracts to 97 residents who are still in their productive ages, defined as younger than 45 years of age, residing near Dolly.

With the contracts they would work in a number of units within the Surabaya administration, such as the Public Order Agency, the Health Agency and the Communications and Information Agency.

Risma claims that following Dolly'€™s closure, she continued to think about ways to help affected residents.

'€œClosing Dolly is no easy matter, but it doesn'€™t mean it cannot be done. Everything needs a process and we have prepared programs for the process. The most important thing [to consider] is how do we protect their [sex workers'€™] dignity and ensure a brighter future for the children there,'€ she said.

As reported, following the declaration of Dolly'€™s closure on Wednesday, June 18, which was attended by Social Affairs Minister Salim Segaf Al Jufri, East Java Governor Soekarwo and Risma on, a number of brothels in Dolly remained open on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, as of Friday evening, Dolly was still open for business, proving that it would not be easy to close down operations despite Risma threatening stern measures if businesses refused to comply with the closure.

Susi, a pimp in Dolly who is against the closure, said Dolly remained open and would continue to remain open, despite the official shutdown.

'€œIt was quiet last night because people were afraid to come to Dolly, but I'€™m sure it [the drop in business] will only be temporary,'€ he said.

According to various sources, the average price for sex in Dolly ranges from Rp 80,000 to Rp 200,000 an hour; 40 percent to the sex workers, 50 percent to the brothels and 10 percent to the pimps.

These low wages coupled with the high living costs associated with sex work means the only option for many prostitutes is to speed up services.

'€œEach sex worker serves up to five clients a night on average, at a duration of between 20 and 30 minutes per client. However, an exceptional sex worker can serve up to 20 guests nightly,'€ Susi said.

Putri Lestari brothel owner Tukirin said that despite the slow business, he would still set a price of Rp 200,000 a session, from which each sex worker would receive Rp 60,000, in addition to Rp 20,000 for room cleaning and laundry.

'€œEach sex worker can earn between Rp 13 million and Rp 15 million monthly, while a pimp can earn up to Rp 60 million a month, assuming each sex worker can serve up to five guests a night,'€ said Tukirin.

Tukirin started the Putri Lestari brothel in 2005 after buying a 9-by-15 meter plot of land worth Rp 500 million.

Now, his brothel is three stories high and equipped with 20 rooms.

'€œI spent more than Rp 2 billion constructing the building,'€ he said.

He added that each month he was required to pay a monthly fee of Rp 150,000 per employee to the local community.

'€œEvery brothel must also pay a daily fee of Rp 50,000 for security. The fees are higher according to the number of sex workers,'€ he said.

Local residents like sidewalk vendors, pedicab drivers, washerwomen and middlemen also benefit from the prostitution business.

A vendor in Dolly, Buchori, says he earns an income of up to Rp 50 million a month from selling food and drinks.

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