"Alhamdulillah (all praises be to Allah), the Ngawi Central Market has been completed and ready to be used by the community,” Jokowi said at the market on Friday as broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel.
The facility has a building, with an area of 15,940 square meters, which can accommodate 291 kiosks, 244 stalls, and 20 booths.
The president expects the market to serve as a trading center to boost the people’s economy in the district and its surroundings as well as to expedite national economic recovery hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the occasion, the president was accompanied by First Lady Iriana, State Secretary Minister Pratikno, Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa, and other related officials.
The Ngawi Central Market was established in accordance with Presidential Regulation Number 43 of 2019 on the Development, Rehabilitation, or Renovation of People's Markets, Higher Education Infrastructure, Islamic Colleges, as well as Primary and Secondary Education Buildings.
Renovation of the market began in early December of 2020 based on the green building concept and a modern arrangement.
Funding for the project was sourced from the 2020 state budget (APBN) of the PUPR Ministry. The renovation was conducted within a period of 12 months.
On Friday morning, Jokowi undertook a work visit to Cepu Sub-district, Blora District, Central Java Province, to inaugurate the Ngloram Airport that was renovated to serve commercial flights, as it was not used by the state-owned oil and gas enterprise PT Pertamina (Persero) since 1984.
