TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama has promised to establish co-working spaces at Kebon Melati Reservoir, Central Jakarta, and Jalan Dr Satrio, South Jakarta, for Jakarta youth to foster their creativity.

“We have run a co-working space on the third floor of Jakarta Smart City Lounge at the City Hall, many youth have already used it,” Ahok said yesterday at Rumah Lembang campaign center in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

Jakarta administration is still developing the two co-working spaces in the areas. It planned to unveil them early next year. “We will continue to develop new co-working spaces in different areas,” Ahok said.

Ahok will provide co-working spaces to help Jakarta’s young designers who have no personal computers and have difficulty in accessing Wi-Fi to work there. Ahok said that he will subsidize designers who have no materials to design clothing collections.

Ahok added that many young bottle designers are facing difficulty in making sample bottles. Co-working spaces will enable them to do so before selling them to beverage companies.

Ahok said that he was inspired by Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb who made spare area in reclamation project available for young, creative entrepreneurs.

AVIT HIDAYAT