City slum areas reflect social gap: Soeharto
City slum areas reflect social gap: Soeharto
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto said yesterday that slum areas in the city are a reflection of the social gap in society and all people should work together to do away with those areas.
The President made the statement when inaugurating a low cost apartment complex at Bidara Cina subdistrict in East Jakarta. The construction was partly financed by conglomerates.
Soeharto pointed out that building low cost apartments reflects that social solidarity among Indonesians is still high and it is important to continue maintaining this attitude because the development of this country is not only for certain individuals but for all Indonesians.
"I hope this social activity can stimulate other businessmen to participate in building low cost apartments in Indonesia and I urge real estate companies to not only build luxurious homes but also low cost ones," Soeharto said.
The President also commended efforts to replace slum dwellings with low cost apartments which are healthier and cleaner.
"It is important to start building vertical housing because if we continue building just houses there will be no space for agriculture," he said.
Soeharto also stressed the importance of assessing people's capability of buying apartments without ignoring other aspects, such as security, charm and the quality of the apartment.
"Just don't forget that the apartment is for those who have limited incomes," Soeharto said.
Bidara Cina low cost apartment was built for those who used to live along the Ciliwung river bank. The project was built from funds donated by conglomerates to commemorate National Social Solidarity day in 1993.
During a discussion with the residents after the ceremony, Soeharto said the government intends to continue the kampong improvement project by building low cost apartments in what are at present slum areas.
Governor Surjadi Soedirdja reported that the apartment complex consists of seven blocks of five-story buildings with a total of 688 apartments.
The governor said Bidara Cina apartment complex is different from other low cost apartments in the city because it is built as part of the Ciliwung river rehabilitation project and financed by several agencies such as the City Administration, Ministry of Social Services, Public Works Ministry and various conglomerates.
Surjadi said the city administration has so far built about 8.734 low cost apartments and about 2.687 apartments are still under construction.
The governor said the production cost for one apartment is Rp 30 million but since the city administration gives more than a 50 percent subsidy buyers will pay less than the full value.
The price of an apartment on the first floor is Rp 15 million which can be paid on an installment basis, Rp 12.48 million for the second floor, Rp 11.89 million on the third floor and Rp 11.250 on the fourth floor. (yns)