Low cost apartments planned at industrial estates<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government announced yesterday that it is
\nrequiring industrial states in the Jakarta area to provide land
\nat discounted rates and also providing financing for the
\nconstruction of 2,000 low-cost apartments.<\/p>\n
The plan seeks to address the acute housing shortage and
\nsimultaneously reduce the long commutes to work that are a factor
\nin Jakarta's traffic problems.<\/p>\n
The greater Jakarta area, which covers the industrial towns of
\nTangerang, Bogor and Bekasi, has been selected for the pilot
\nproject, formally begun yesterday with the signing of a decree
\ninvolving four cabinet ministers.<\/p>\n
State Minister of People's Housing Akbar Tanjung explained
\nthat the 2,000 low cost apartments will be built by private
\ndevelopers, who, while they will be making a profit, will be
\nrequired to sell the units at prices set by the government.<\/p>\n
BTN, the government-owned savings bank and PT Astek, the
\ngovernment's insurance company, will assist in financing the
\nconstruction and with home-ownership loans.<\/p>\n
Owners of industrial estates in the area will be asked to give
\nup five percent of their land at discounted prices, Akbar told
\nreporters after the signing ceremony of the joint decree at the
\nMinistry of Manpower office.<\/p>\n
Besides Akbar, the other signatories were Coordinating
\nMinister for Industry and Trade Hartarto, Minister of Manpower
\nAbdul Latief and Minister of Industry Tungki Ariwibowo.<\/p>\n
Two prominent businessman, Enggartiasto Lukita who chairs the
\nReal Estate Indonesia (REI) and Aburizal Bakrie who heads the
\nChamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), who were present at the
\nsigning ceremony had only two words to say about the program -
\n\"We're ready.\"<\/p>\n
Akbar said his office had conducted a feasibility study and
\nthe first construction should begin in May or June.<\/p>\n
A total of around 20 hectares of land in industrial estates in
\nJakarta and Bekasi have been earmarked for the project, he said.<\/p>\n
He explained that the government has opted for apartments
\nrather than houses in view of the scarcity of land in Jabotabek,
\nthe acronym for the greater Jakarta area.<\/p>\n
Latief hailed the new workers' housing plan, saying that it
\nmay boost the drive to improve industrial efficiency and worker
\nproductivity and at least will reduce workers' travel expenses.<\/p>\n
\"If workers in Jabotabek can live in an environmentally
\nhealthy area adjacent to their work place, they will need only
\nbicycles or go on foot to work,\" he said.<\/p>\n
At present, workers in Jabotabek are living far from their
\nwork places, so they are contributing to the traffic congestions
\nand spend a great deal on transportation.<\/p>\n
He said the new housing program was mainly aimed at improving
\nworkers' welfare and their productivity.<\/p>\n
\"If workers' livelihoods and their productivity improve, it
\nwill also benefit their employers,\" he said, citing the equal
\npartnership between workers and employers as stipulated in the
\nPancasila industrial relations concept.<\/p>\n
Asked on the price of the apartments, Tanjung said they would
\nbe set at Rp 8 million ($3,800) per unit. BTN will offer low
\ninterest loans to help workers buy the apartments, he added.<\/p>\n
Latief urged companies in the industrial estates help provide
\ntheir employees with the down payments for the purchase of the
\napartments.<\/p>\n
If the pilot project is successful, it will be copied in other
\nmajor industrial centers in Central Java, East Java, Lampung and
\nNorth Sumatra. (rms)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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