Surabaya Legislators Against Plan to Build More Street Vendor Centers

Surabaya, E Java (Antara) -- The Surabaya city legislative council (DPRD) is opposed to the city government\'s plan to build more centers for street vendors as many of them lack customers. Chief of Commission B of the DPRD Mazlan Mansur said here on Wednesday that the most urgent requirement that the city government should fulfill is optimizing the existing centers for street vendors, particularly those lacking traders and customers. \"Last year, the city government proposed a budget to build 12 street vendor centers,\" he stated, adding that the DPRD had approved only eight of them. \"Revive those where activity is still dull. The city government itself has made booths available for them to sell goods,\" Mansur affirmed. Deputy Chief of Commission B of the DPRD Edi Rachmat shared Mansur\'s view, stating that many street vendor centers were dull due to many factors. When the street vendor centers were busy, the vendors would spontaneously raise the prices of their goods, which was burdensome to consumers, he noted. \"As a result, consumers are no longer interested to visit these centers. If such practices remain unheeded, consumers will be harmed, and consequently, street vendor centers will continue to lack customers,\" he remarked. He also pointed out that at least seven of the existing 50 street vendor centers were on the brink of bankruptcy as the number of traders continued to fall. (*) Reported by Abdul Hakim