20 million rupiah penalty for buying goods from street trader

(Picture taken from : community.kompas.com)

From 10 September 2007 there is a new regional regulation in Jakarta. That is prohibition to buy anything from street trader (asongan) or for giving money to the beggar and also to the street musician. And if you dare to break it by giving your donation to them, you will be fined 100 thousand until up to 20 million rupiah or put in jailed for 10 until up to 60 days. Quote from Jakarta Post, Arie Budhiman a city spokesman said that the regulation aims to clear Jakarta of beggars and street hawkers.

This regulation got much rejection from the Jakarta society such as: Agus Pambagyo (a well known politic observer) who said that this regulation contradictive to Religion believes, and from Wardah Hafidz (chairman of Urban Poor Consortium) who said that the regulation is nonsense because the fault is not from the Jakarta people but from the government who can not gave them proper occupation to support their life.

According to BPS (Indonesian statistic surveyor) 13, 56 million of people in the city on 2007 are categorize poor society. So if this regulation affective, the possibility of increasing the poverty in Jakarta society will probably happen. Because lots’s of Jakarta poor society support their live as street musician or street trader, and prohibit them to do their life occupation will make them more poor then they already are. Have the government think about it?

I myself agree if they make the regulation only for the beggar because I really think that they can do something else, but for the street traders and for the street musician I think that this regulation is not propriety If the city government wants to make Jakarta a clear city, what they have to do is provide more job vacancy for the people, an occupation that can support their live properly. And if they can not do this so they do not have the right to banned a person from their occupation that they do to support their life.

Governor Sutiyoso (quote from detik.com) said that all work effort to support life is acceptable unless they disturb other people. Well if that so then you should provide them some place else or other work so they wont disturb others, if you banned them then it will only make their life harder with out any other chance to make it a better.