Soeharto warns of uncontrollable urbanization<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto warned yesterday of the
\ndanger of uncontrolled urbanization because most big cities are
\nnot prepared to accommodate a speedy population growth.<\/p>\n
Unless major anticipatory preparations are taken, densely-
\npopulated cities will not be able to provide a sufficiently
\nhealthy environment or quality public services, Soeharto said.<\/p>\n
He cited the failure of agriculture sectors to absorb rural
\nworkers as the factor which encourages unskilled workers to
\nmigrate to urban areas.<\/p>\n
\"If the trend is not properly anticipated, social disturbances
\nwill rise, the number of slum areas will increase and public
\nfacilities will be (adversely) affected in big cities,\" Soeharto
\nsaid in the commemoration of World Habitat Day at the State
\nPalace.<\/p>\n
The President, however, said poor people would not be
\nneglected and pledged the government's strong commitment to build
\nlow-cost houses for needy people.<\/p>\n
\"We will rejuvenate slum areas with modern apartments which
\ncan provide a healthy environment for them,\" Soeharto said.<\/p>\n
He noted that the government has built 600,000 low-cost houses
\nin the current Sixth Five-year National Development Plan which
\nbegan in 1994.<\/p>\n
\"We have exceeded our target of 500,000 houses during the
\nperiod,\" Soeharto said.<\/p>\n
The President also opened a national seminar on housing
\nresettlement during the ceremony.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Public Housing Akbar Tandjung said in his
\nreport to the President his office would be able to speed up the
\nconstruction of more houses thanks to a Rp 1 trillion (US$281.60
\nmillion) fund injected by state-owned workers insurance company
\nPT Jamsostek.<\/p>\n
\"Housing developers are relieved with the fresh money because
\nit will help them solve their liquidity crisis,\" Tandjung said
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
The company, which manages a social security program for more
\nthan 11 million workers, injected the fund into the cash-strapped
\nstate-owned PT Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN) to help finance the
\nconstruction of 80,000 low-cost houses.<\/p>\n
Tandjung previously said about half of the 2,400 housing
\ndevelopers had stopped activities due to skyrocketing lending
\nrates caused by the currency crisis.<\/p>\n
As a part of the World Habitat Day commemoration, Vice
\nPresident Try Sutrisno inaugurated on Saturday 40,000 houses
\nbuilt by state-owned Perumnas in Parung, Bogor, West Java. (prb)<\/p>",
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