100 customers protest against developer
100 customers protest against developer
TANGERANG (JP): More than 100 customers of the Modernland
housing development went to the company's office here yesterday
to protest the slow progress of the construction of houses,
apartments and shop-houses they had bought.
The customers claimed they had paid downpayments on the
construction of the properties and some had even paid in cash
through banks but the projects apparently ground to a halt in
February.
The customers arrived at the company's office at 9 a.m. "We
will wait here until we can meet the company's executives," Agus,
one of the customers, said.
He said that the customers had frequently visited the office
but had never succeeded in meeting the company's executives.
"We just want to exercise our rights. It's normal. But the
company executives always refuse to meet with us, for a whole
variety of reasons," Johar, an apartment customer, said.
He said about 700 customers have thus far been registered as
buyers of the company's apartments.
Meanwhile, in response to the arrival of the many customers,
the company's business development director, Benny Loho, said the
dispute with the customers was being discussed.
Benny later ordered reporters to get out of the office
building but this was strongly protested by the customers.
By late afternoon, the customers still refused to leave the
office unless their demand to meet with the management was met.
In an unrelated development, another group of housing
customers went to the Bank Internasional Indonesia (BII) office
on Jl. Thamrin in Central Jakarta again in line with an agreement
they reached with the bank's management last Thursday.
During yesterday's meeting the BII management agreed to answer
the customers' objections, which include the reduction of
interest rates of between 30 percent and 50 percent currently
imposed by the bank.
Benny Kusbini, the customers' spokesman, said that the
customers strongly opposed the imposition of high rates. He also
urged all BII customers throughout the country to join forces to
oppose what they called the bank's arrogance. (41/jun/hhr)