Deputy Minister for Public Housing and Public Works Visits Kendari Slums, Promises Coastal Redevelopment

Indonesia is an archipelagic nation with more than 12,000 coastal areas inhabited by communities. The Poasia area will be developed so that it no longer becomes a slum. Kendari, ANTARA – Deputy Minister for Public Housing and Public Works Fahri Hamzah visited the slum settlements in Poasia, Kendari City, Southeast Sulawesi (Sultra), and pledged to redevelop the coastal area into a clean and habitable environment. Speaking to reporters in Kendari on Thursday, he said he had seen first-hand the condition of residents’ homes and discussed strategic plans for addressing the bay’s coastal zone. “Indonesia is an archipelagic nation with more than 12,000 coastal areas inhabited by communities. The Poasia area will be developed so that it no longer becomes a slum,” he said. He explained that the central government is currently preparing the Kampung Nelayan Merah Putih programme initiated by the President. The programme targets the redevelopment of around 1,000 coastal areas across Indonesia each year. “The government’s target is to redevelop areas like this. We want to turn places that were previously slum into clean and good environments for fishing communities,” he said. He also stressed that environmental maintenance is the foremost priority after the infrastructure redevelopment is completed. This includes proper waste management and adequate sanitation systems. “The sanitation must be truly good and waste management must be orderly. We cannot allow dirt; all parties must be involved in keeping the environment clean,” he said.