Jakarta Vice Governor, Djarot Saiful Hidayat revealed that he threatened to demolish minimarts that are not in accordance with the designation in the capital. "If the minimarts are illegal, we will demolish them forcibly," he asserted, at City Hall, Tuesday (12/23).

I'm not anti-minimart. But we will arrange them

According to Djarot, such decisive action aims to arrange the minimarts thus its existence completely in accordance with the rules. "I'm not anti-minimart. But we will arrange them," he stressed.

In accordance with Bylaw No. 2/2002 on Private Marketing regulates distance between minimarts with the traditional markets is at least 500 meters. The aim is not to shut down the existence of traditional markets.

To control illegal minimarts, he furthered, urban village and sub-district heads in five urban areas were instructed to collect the minimart's data in each area.

He also summoned Head of Jakarta Spatial Planning Department, Gamal Sinurat to map out minimarts. "It is to find out how many minimarts are balanced in Jakarta," he said.

Djarot asserted although Governor's Instruction No. 115/2006 on Minimart Permit Postponement in Jakarta has been revoked and issued Governor Instruction No. 7/2012 on Minimart Permit Revocation in Jakarta, does not mean minimart can be built arbitrarily. Supervision towards minimart construction permits must refer to Bylaw No. 2/2002 on Private Marketing. Thus the growth of minimart in Jakarta can still closely monitored. 

In 2011, Jakarta Provincial Government has to verify minimart. As a result, there are 1,868 minimarts spread all over Jakarta. 1,443 of them have no a private marketing business. And 53 other minimarts which violated Local Rule No. 2/2002 had even been closed down, where 37 of them do not have an operating permit.