Govt to get tough on developers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto has ordered State Minister of
\nPublic Housing Akbar Tandjung to step up efforts to reduce the
\nincidence of cheating on the part of housing developers.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters after meeting with Soeharto at the
\nMerdeka Palace yesterday, Akbar said the President wanted
\nstricter controls on housing developers, to ensure that they
\nabided by the \"balanced-housing\" concept.<\/p>\n
The concept, introduced in 1992, requires developers to build
\nsix low-cost and three medium-cost houses for every luxury house
\nthey build.<\/p>\n
Ever since its introduction, however, reports have shown that
\nnumerous developers have ignored obligation to build low-cost and
\nmedium-cost houses, which offer low profit margins.<\/p>\n
\"The President has stipulated that there will be no room for
\ncompensation. This means that developers cannot substitute the
\nconstruction of the low-cost and medium-cost houses for a certain
\namount of money,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the President had emphasized the need for low-cost
\nhousing because there was currently a large demand for housing on
\nthe part of people with low incomes.<\/p>\n
\"The National Housing Board and its regional offices across
\nthe country will intensify control over this matter,\" Akbar
\npledged.<\/p>\n
The National Housing Board, which is responsible for policy-
\nmaking, problem-solving and supervision of housing development,
\nconsists of government officials from various related offices.<\/p>\n
The board, which has regional offices across the country, is
\nheaded by the state minister of public housing.<\/p>\n
Akbar said the President had also called for greater control
\nover developers that have been cheating customers into paying for
\nhouses but then failing to meet their expectations or, even
\nworse, not building the houses at all.<\/p>\n
Nine such \"fictitious houses\" have been reported so far.<\/p>\n
Separately yesterday, Tini Hadad of the Indonesian Consumers
\nProtection Agency told reporters that buyers have been
\ncomplaining about fictitious houses offered by PT Cantilan Windu
\nKencana, PT Miyagi, PT Tigaputra Inti and PT Jaya Graha in
\nBekasi; PT Pramitra Antar Sejahtera and PT Sapta Utama Intercom
\nin Tangerang; and PT Manunggal Adisiwi and PT Bumiayu
\nSakinahcitra in Bogor.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, PT Kalasutra Indah Sejahtera was also reported to
\nhave cheated some 3,000 prospective buyers of low-cost and
\nmedium-cost houses.<\/p>\n
\"The government, which has the right to issue building
\nlicenses and to carry out monitoring activities, must take full
\nresponsibility for these frauds,\" Tini said.<\/p>\n
Akbar said yesterday that several cases have been handed over
\nby his office to the police.<\/p>\n
\"The government will step up control to prevent further fraud
\nfrom occurring. This will be done by, among others things,
\nmonitoring the activities of developers after they have been
\nlicensed,\" he said, adding that the monitoring would be conducted
\nby the housing body's regional offices.<\/p>\n
Akbar said he issued a ruling last June on house transaction
\nprocedures.<\/p>\n
The regulation, he said, allows transactions to take place
\nonly after a housing developer has obtained the licenses needed
\nto start construction.<\/p>\n
\"Only after the developers have obtained these licenses can
\nthey enter into binding transactions with their customers, such
\nas through booking fees,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"If the housing board finds out that developers which have not
\nobtained the complete set of licenses are collecting money from
\ncustomers, it will take legal action against the developers,\"
\nAkbar said. (29\/pwn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-to-get-tough-on-developers-1447893297",
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