T

he Jakarta administration and city-owned market operator PD Pasar Jaya are set to implement environmental standards for all markets in the city to follow-up on the Indonesian National Standards (SNI) set by the Trade Ministry.

Pasar Jaya president director Lutfi Rachman said that the firm had determined three markets, Pasar Cibubur in East Jakarta as well as Pasar Manggis and Pasar Pondok Indah in South Jakarta, as examples of traditional markets that were of an acceptable standard.

'€œWe want all our markets to meet the standards. Therefore, we will start with the three markets as a pilot,'€ Lutfi told reporters at City Hall on Tuesday.

Lutfi said that the Pondok Indah market was currently under development, while Pasar Manggis was just reopened three months ago after two years of renovations. Pasar Cibubur has been in operation for seven years.

Lutfi said that the three markets still needed further development in order to meet the national standards.

According to the SNI, traditional markets must be accessible to customers, free of the threat of flooding and landslide, and be a clean and healthy environment. There are also 10 technical requirements, including having a trading room, accessibility such as parking and loading areas, public facilities such as toilets, CCTV and a breast-feeding room.

'€œWe are currently cooperating with the Trade Ministry to complete the requirements for the three markets to be up to standard. The standards are very detailed,'€ Lutfi said.

He said that once completed, the markets would be examples not only in Jakarta but also for traditional markets nationwide.

Lutfi said Pasar Jaya would revitalize up to 10 markets in 2016. All markets, he said, would be developed according to the national standards.

Separately, Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama acknowledged that none of Jakarta'€™s traditional markets were of an acceptable standard yet. In fact, he said, many were known for being dirty and having an unpleasant smell.

'€œMarkets in Jakarta are uncomfortable. Of course most residents choose to go to supermarkets instead of traditional markets,'€ Ahok told reporters at City Hall.

The governor particularly highlighted the dirty toilets at markets, and the wet surroundings. Ahok asked Pasar Jaya to provide clean toilets in all markets.

'€œStarting next year, I do not want smelly toilets in markets anymore. I want the toilets to smell nice and clean,'€ Ahok said.

He said that the city administration in cooperation with the central government would next year also develop two national-standard markets that would be integrated with rusunawa (low-cost apartments).

Ahok said the markets were in Pasar Minggu and Pasar Rumput, South Jakarta. The development of both will be funded by the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry.

The ministry has allocated Rp 2.2 trillion to build the integrated market and rusunawa complexes.

Current designs for the two markets reveal that each apartment building will have 24 floors with at least 4,000 apartments, the first four of which would be dedicated to a clean traditional market where residents and visitors could shop.

A total of 12 traditional markets will be developed into integrated rusunawa to catch up on a backlog of affordable housing.

The remaining 10 markets are Sunter Market, Sukapura Market, Lontar Market and Sindang Market in North Jakarta; Serdang Market, Cempaka Putih Market and Blok G Market in Central Jakarta; and Jelambar Polri Market, Jembatan Besi Market and Grogol Market in West Jakarta.