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)