Developer has yet to build low-cost housing project

Developer has yet to build low-cost housing project

JAKARTA (JP): The developer of the Pantai Indah Kapuk
waterfront estate in North Jakarta has yet to build the low-cost
apartments it promised to construct, a press report said
Saturday.

The developer, PT Mandara Permai, has just begun the
development of 60 five-story apartment blocks which are to have
the capacity to accommodate 1,920 families.

The late development of the low-cost apartments was revealed
during a visit to the site by chief of the North Jakarta
population affairs agency Dadang Ruskandar over the weekend.

PT Mandara Permai's general manager Hadi Setiady conceded that
the developer has only began the development of the first two
blocks.

However, Hadi promised that the whole apartment project would
be completed in three years.

"We even plan to build 10-story apartments provided with
escalators as suggested by the city administration," he said as
quoted by Antara.

The development of the waterfront housing estate moved into
the spotlight after the developer allegedly reclaimed extensive
swamps in such a way as to cause serious flooding of the highway
leading to the Soekarno-Hatta Airport.

The city administration has required the developer to use the
"1:3:6" formula; building three medium-cost and six low-cost
residences for each luxurious residence it builds. The
administration believes the requirement will be an effective way
of ensuring that people of all social standings live in the area,
so that it does not become an exclusive enclave which could give
rise to social envy.

So far, the developer has built 600 upmarket and middle-class
houses, about 500 of which have been sold.

Hadi said that, since the flats would be built in formerly
swampy areas, safety would be the top consideration in their
construction.

"We need the most appropriate technology," he said. (pan)