An old produce market in Jayapura. Photo: RNZI/Koroi Hawkins
The Indonesian President Joko Widodo has called on his own minister to speed up the construction of new traditional markets during his visit to Papua.
The government has a plan to build around 5,000 traditional markets throughout the country, and the Jakarta Globe reports the President put the heat on the State-Owned Enterprise Minister Rini Soemarno on Sunday.
Joko Widodo began his Papua tour attending the groundbreaking of the Mama-Mama cultural market in downtown Jayapura before visiting the Pharaa Sentani market and the Doyo Baru Sentani traditional market.
The president encouraged tenants and the public to preserve the cleanliness of the market in an effort to compete with the large malls found across the country.
The country's easternmost province will also see developments for fishermen housing and finance management programs.
The new Pharaa Market under construction in Sentani, Papua, is part of a drive by the Widodo-led government to modernise the produce market environment for Papuans. Photo: RNZI/Koroi Hawkins