REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BIMA -- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inaugurated the Amahami Market, here, Friday.
The president urged vendors in the newly built traditional market to maintain cleanliness and tidiness.
The head of state, accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Trade Minister Thomas Lembong, and Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi, held a dialog with a tomato vendor.
President Jokowi checked the condition of the market and called on the trade minister to expand the building in order to accommodate 500 additional vendors who were compelled to sell their commodities outside the market.
"Just now, I have ordered the trade minister to expand the market to accommodate everyone," the president noted, adding that next year, he will revisit Bima to review the condition.
Ari Dwipayana, member of the presidential communication team, recalled President Jokowi's statement that traditional markets must be as competitive as modern markets.
He made the statement while launching the Revitalization Program for One Thousand Community Markets at the Manis Market, Purwokerto, Banyumas District, Central Java, in June 2015.
The head of state expressed concern that traditional markets might disappear in future if their condition was not improved.
The improvement of traditional markets was not only related to their infrastructure but also the management of bookkeeping activities, he remarked.