Makassar to Rebuild Fire-Damaged Pa’baeng-baeng Market Stalls Within Three Weeks, Offer Traders Financing

Makassar Mayor Munafri Arifuddin says traders at Pa’baeng-baeng Market should not have to wait long to return to their stalls after the fire. He estimates that physical repairs will take two to three weeks.

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Pa’baeng-baeng Market’s recovery must focus on accelerating infrastructure repairs so trading activities can resume. This is needed so rehabilitation can happen quickly and they can sell again.

The city plans to address more than the damaged buildings. Traders who spoke with Munafri said they were struggling to restart their businesses after the fire. He ordered local village and subdistrict officials to record all affected traders so the government can connect them with banks offering additional working capital through Kredit Usaha Rakyat, or KUR, loans.

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We will coordinate through the village and subdistrict heads here to arrange additional financing through banks that distribute Kredit Usaha Rakyat loans and other facilities.

“Pa’baeng-baeng Market’s recovery must focus on accelerating infrastructure repairs so trading activities can resume,” Munafri said in Makassar. “This is needed so rehabilitation can happen quickly and they can sell again.”

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Starting now, all markets must be checked to ensure the equipment needed to provide first aid in incidents like this is operational.

Munafri also called for the fire to become a lesson for traditional markets across Makassar. He instructed the municipal market agency to check that portable fire extinguishers and hydrants remain active and ready for use. Officials will also review electrical installations, warning against improvised connections and unsafe wiring that could trigger short circuits.

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Do not simply plug in electricity or make random connections. Ensure the electrical installations are safe so they do not easily cause short circuits.