Housing developer fiasco upsets teachers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): At least 20 teachers complained at the Jakarta
\nLegal Aid Institute's office on Monday about a private
\ndeveloper's alleged failure to build houses they bought on an
\ninstallment basis.<\/p>\n
The teachers' spokesman, Darminto Surapati, said they demanded
\nthat PT Bumi Mutiara Utama, the developer, return their down
\npayments of Rp 3 million (US$400) and Rp 4 million.<\/p>\n
Darminto said that the developer had promised to build the
\nhouses in Bumi Mutiara Indah complex in Cibeber village, Bogor.<\/p>\n
\"We saved our money for long time to buy houses for our
\nretirement. But now we have lost hope,\" said Darminto, who
\nclaimed to represent over 80 teachers of elementary, junior high
\nand senior high schools in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He said the teachers paid down payments for 36-square-meter
\nhouses to the developer at the Jakarta office of the Ministry of
\nEducation and Culture on Oct. 4, 1994.<\/p>\n
But they were later disappointed at learning that Bank Papan
\nSejahtera, which originally agreed to extend housing loans,
\nrefused to disburse the money due to the limited number of
\ncustomers, he said.<\/p>\n
The bank said that besides the limited number of customers,
\nthe developer concentrated only on houses of low quality,
\nDarminto said, adding that most of the site remained undeveloped.<\/p>\n
He said the buyers were invited to sign purchasing agreements
\nat a ceremony, which was also attended by then minister of public
\nhousing Akbar Tandjung and other officials, at the city office of
\nthe Ministry of Education and Culture on Dec. 23, last year.<\/p>\n
However, the teachers refused to show up at the suggestion of
\nthe bank, he said.<\/p>\n
Some of the teachers frequently visited the project site, but
\nthere was no sign as to when construction would start, he said.<\/p>\n
When they asked the developer to return their down payments,
\nits representatives said the company had no funds to do so, said
\nDarminto. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/housing-developer-fiasco-upsets-teachers-1447893297",
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