Be selective in buying new house, Wardiman says

Be selective in buying new house, Wardiman says

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Culture and Education Wardiman
Djojonegoro said yesterday that people should be selective before
buying new houses offered by developers.

"First of all, check whether there are adequate public
facilities like school buildings in a housing complex before you
decide to buy a house. Don't be lured by the glossy
advertisements placed by the developers," Wardiman said.

The minister made the remarks at a ceremony marking the final
stage of the development of the new branch of the elite Sekolah
Pelita Harapan in Sentul.

This new branch of the international school, managed by the
Yayasan Pendidikan Pelita Harapan (YPPH) foundation, is being
built at a total cost of Rp 20 billion (approximately US$10
million.) The site will be on a 10-hectare plot of land in the
2,000-hectare Royal Sentul Highlands, an exclusive housing
complex five kilometers from the Jagorawi toll road in Sentul,
Bogor.

The school will have a swimming pool, a fine arts center, a
library, well-equipped science labs, computer terminals and
sports facilities. It has opened registration for new students
for the upcoming new school year.

But unlike the Sekolah Pelita Harapan in Lippo Village, a
sprawling 500 hectare exclusive housing complex in Tangerang, for
now the new school will only have classes for junior and senior
high school students.

According to Wardiman, a housing complex with more than 500
houses should have proper school facility from kindergarten to
senior high-school levels.

"This is because many of the prospective buyers of houses in
the housing complexes are newlywed couples," Wardiman said.

On the occasion, Wardiman appealed to Bogor Regent Eddy W. to
check whether housing developers in his administrative area have
built school buildings or not. (has)