President Joko Widodo on Wednesday afternoon inaugurated the newly renovated Semarang Johar Market in Central Java, which was damaged in a fire several years ago.

Prior to the inauguration, he visited the cultural heritage building, which has been completely revitalized.

Jokowi spent around 30 minutes reviewing conditions in the North, Central, and South Johar Markets and interacting with vendors.

He urged the vendors to keep the market, which was built with funding from the State Budget, clean and safe.

The President also said he expected the market, which is already good and tidy, would become a bustling one and reclaim its former status as a landmark of Semarang city.

He stressed that a crowded market indicates thriving economic conditions, marked by plenty of transactions.

The renovation, which focused on building a cleaner, modern, and orderly market, did not interfere with the stipulation of Johar as a cultural heritage building, he noted.

The North and Central Johar Markets were built at a cost of Rp146 billion, while the South Johar Market was built at a cost of Rp103 billion, he informed.

An additional market in the area, Kanjengan Market, was built at a cost of Rp20.3 billion to increase space for traders, he said.

Source: Antara News