Eviction plan upsets dwellers of apartment<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Occupants of low-cost apartments owned by city-
\nowned property developer PD Sarana Jaya in Penjaringan, North
\nJakarta, are protesting the company's branch manager's plan to
\nevict them.<\/p>\n
\"A total of 25 occupants should leave the apartment on Oct. 8
\nbecause they cannot afford to pay a certain amount of money to
\nArdjan, the branch manager,\" said Gunadi, spokesman of the
\ndelegation, to City Council commission A.<\/p>\n
He explained that Ardjan has ordered the occupants of Block D,
\n2nd floor to leave the apartment on Oct. 8 saying that they do
\nnot have Jakarta identity cards.<\/p>\n
\"He used that as an excuse to evict us. The real reason is
\nbecause we could not afford to pay Rp 600,000 (US$275),\" Gunadi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The low cost apartment in Penjaringan, occupied in 1986 by
\nfire victims and people whose land had been appropriated,
\nimplemented a daily rent system in which occupants should make
\nmonthly payments.<\/p>\n
The apartment has three sizes of rooms; 18, 36 and 54 square
\nmeters, and there are a total of 1,200 rooms. Rents vary
\naccording to floor.<\/p>\n
Occupants of 18 square-meter apartments on the first floor
\nshould pay Rp 51,000 while those living in 36 square meter rooms
\non the second floor should pay Rp 140,000.<\/p>\n
Supardi, one of the occupants, said that he and 24 other
\npeople have occupied three rooms in the apartment for three years
\nand the problem arose when the branch manager asked the occupants
\nto pay up if they intend to continue staying in the apartment.<\/p>\n
Bribe<\/p>\n
Gunadi said that justice is all they want because most of the
\nnew occupants are Indonesians of Chinese descent who do not have
\nthe Jakarta identity cards but are willing to pay a \"bribe\"
\nranging from Rp 250,000 to Rp 5 million.<\/p>\n
\"I am not a racist but I am concerned that indigenous
\nIndonesians could not get a place to stay because they could not
\nafford to pay the bribe and would give it up to people who can,\"
\nGunadi said.<\/p>\n
He explained that this is an act taken by the manager because
\nthe regulation drawn by the company does not require occupants to
\npay that kind of money.<\/p>\n
\"The manager refused to take this month's payment,\" said
\nSupardi.<\/p>\n
Councilor M.U, Fatommy Asaari said that the commission will
\nsummon the management of the company as soon as possible to solve
\nthe problem.<\/p>\n
\"We will ask the management of PD Sarana Jaya to settle the
\nmatter before Oct. 8 because it concerns corruption in that
\ncompany,\" Asaari said.<\/p>\n
He expects the delegation to submit more evidence, such as
\nmonthly payment receipts and rental contracts, to the commission.
\n(yns)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/eviction-plan-upsets-dwellers-of-apartment-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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