Ara Requests Roof Tile Use in House Renovation Projects, Rejects Corrugated Iron and Asbestos

Minister of Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP) Maruarar Sirait has emphasised that the current house renovation programme must no longer utilise corrugated iron or asbestos roofing. The minister, commonly known as Ara, has mandated developers and contractors to employ roof tiles. “This house renovation must use roof tiles for the roofs, not corrugated iron or asbestos,” Ara stated during an inspection of renovations for uninhabitable houses (RTLH) and slum area revitalisation in Menteng Tenggulun, Central Jakarta, on Friday (24/4/2026). Ara also requested that developers and contractors use roof tiles produced by SMEs in Majalengka and Jatiwangi. “The tiles are from Majalengka and Jatiwangi, because we must understand that we are subordinates of the President (Prabowo Subianto). He has a roof tile-isation programme,” she continued. The reasons for Ara’s rejection of asbestos and corrugated iron in the house renovation programme, besides supporting the roof tile-isation initiative, include efforts to reduce tuberculosis (TB) cases, which she believes are exacerbated by the use of asbestos and corrugated iron in Indonesia. “I have agreed with the Ministry of Health, and Mr Health Minister is ready to provide home surgery assistance for TB victims, as the Health Minister said, corrugated iron and asbestos can cause TB,” she explained. Furthermore, according to her, the Ministry of Health has indicated that the use of asbestos and corrugated iron can also lead to cancer. “That is why it creates the potential for the public to fall ill. Besides TB, it can also cause cancer, so no more asbestos, it must be roof tiles,” she said.