TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD DKI Jakarta) said Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo would face a series of challenges should he proceed with his moratorium on issuing new shopping mall permits.

Previously, Jokowi announced a moratorium on new mall permits and pledged to focus on the development of traditional markets in the capital.

“First, Jokowi has to understand that malls and traditional markets have their own different segments,” said Taufik Azhar, member of the Council’s Commission B overseeing capital investment, on Tuesday, September 17, 2013. Taufik said Jokowi had to accommodate the middle-upper class’ demand for malls if he sought to replace new malls with traditional markets.

The Golkar Party’s politician said the governor should also guarantee the goods that the traditional markets offer could meet public expectations. He reminded the governor that malls were identical with original and luxurious goods, while traditional markets had been widely discredited as the hubs of low-quality goods.

Taufik said this mindset was one of the issues the governor should attend to. “Another example, traditional markets have been associated with muddy, dirty places in contrast to malls,” he said.

Another member of Commission B, Democratic Party’s politician Santoso, said the governor must also face the challenges ensuing from the rapid growth of the capital’s middle class. “They need places where they can meet their daily needs,” he said.

Santoso said the middle class had been resorting to malls as recreation hubs. He added that the middle class also played a pivotal role in propping the economy.

SYAILENDRA