JAKARTA. The construction of a long-awaited traditional market in Papua began as President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo laid the first stone of the market’s building foundation in Jayapura, on Saturday.

The Papua administration and people have campaigned for the building of the Mama-Mama market for 13 years. The market is designed to have three storys with an open-plan construction style. The first floor will be used as a wet market while the second and third floors will be used as a Papuan handicraft trading center and offices respectively.

“Can this building be finished within 10 months?” President Jokowi asked State-owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno, who quickly replied “Yes, it can.”

“I hope the market’s development will last no more than 10 months. So, 10 months from today I will come to inaugurate this market,” he said after the groundbreaking ceremony.

Apart from Rini, Papua Governor Lukas Enembe and Jayapura Mayor Benhur Tommy Mano also attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the market, which is built on a location previously used as offices by the state-owned bus company Perum Damri office in Jayapura.

Four Papuan women representing the mainly female vegetable vendors who will run kiosks in the new market were also present.

Jokowi explained in his speech that it took so long for the government to start the construction of the market as it had to go through a string of procedures. The President added that it was only in the last three weeks that he gave an ultimatum to the state-owned enterprises minister to immediately realize the development of the market.

“I said: ‘I don’t care how you do it but the one thing I want to see is that the market must be built,” he said to loud applause.

Jokowi later told the vendors to always pay attention to the market’s cleanliness and provide a quality service to their customers.

“Mayor, if it is possible, please give these ladies uniforms or aprons they can wear when serving their customers. They should be as clean and neat as sales clerks in shopping malls or other modern markets,” said Jokowi.

The President also reminded the vendors to keep smiling to buyers so that customers would always return. “How can you expect more customers if you never smile?” he said.

Trade Minister Thomas Lembong said that apart from a trade center, the Mama-Mama market would also serve as an education center and provide other public services.

“Many [vendors] have to bring their children to the market so there will be an education center for children in this market,” he said.

Papua Solidarity ( Solpap ) coordinator Robert Djitmau hoped the market could be handled by a local administration-owned enterprise ( BUMD ) instead of by the local administration’s working unit ( SKPD ). “There should be a BUMD to handle this market, so it can be managed professionally,” said Robert.

Meanwhile, Mayor Benhur Tommy hoped that no vendor who got a kiosk in the market would sell them to other vendors and then return to selling commodities on the street.

“It is expected that after the market is completed, there will be no more selling along the street because they already have a proper [trading] place,” the mayor said. The Mama-Mama market is being built by state-owned construction firm PT Waskita. (Nethy Dharma Somba)

Editor: Barratut Taqiyyah Rafie