Over a year since Bali’s largest and oldest traditional market was devastated by a fire, construction will finally start on the rebuilding of Pasar Badung
Denpasar city government picked the winner, PT Nindya Karya, on Tuesday, after what was a long and drawn-out bidding process to select the project’s contractor.
The victor was confirmed by Denpasar city’s head of procurement of goods and services, Maria Antonia Dezire Mulyani.
“Yes, today, we have set the winner, which is PT Nindya Karya,” Mulyani said on Tuesday.
The budget for the project is Rp 75 billion, according to Mulyani.
Building is set to start this weekend, on July 29.
Construction had been delayed after there had been some negligence on behalf of the city of Denpasar in interpreting the terms of the auction to determine the project’s contractor, according to Tribun Bali.
Hundreds of vendors have been misplaced, their livelihoods hanging in the balance, since the fire broke out, totally ravaging the four-floor market on February 28, 2016. After months of investigation, the fire’s cause was never officially confirmed, though there was speculation of a gas-stove explosion and an electrical substation going out as the possible causes.
Starting on May 1, 2016, merchants relocated to a temporary market on Jl. Cokroaminoto in Denpasar. Vendors say they’ve suffered tremendous losses with reduced business since the move.
“We are tired of complaining. So now the important thing is that it’s with certainly that Pasar Badung will be built, only we ask that it not be delayed again, because our income here has dropped dramatically,” Luh Karmiasih, a vendor at the market, told Tribun Bali.
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