Governor vows to investigate apartment sales
Governor vows to investigate apartment sales
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Surjadi Soedirdja vows to investigate
reports that several apartments built for fishermen in Muara
Angke, North Jakarta were sold by the owners.
The governor said yesterday that he takes the reports
seriously and will have the case investigated. The sale of the
apartments was reported by several local media. He said the city
housing agency has not yet reported the matter to him.
"I want to be informed about the matter as soon as possible as
selling the apartments is a violation of the regulation. It has
also caused losses to the government," Surjadi told reporters.
Surjadi said that according to the regulation, the fishermen
are not allowed to sell their apartments because the government
built the homes to help them obtain decent, healthy places to
live in.
The government, including the city administration, spent much
money building the housing, he added.
However, he acknowledged that most of the fishermen face
financial problems and could be easily tempted to sell the
apartments just to get instant cash.
"It's hard to uphold the regulation if the fishermen have to
get money quickly," he said.
It was reported that some of the fishermen needed instant cash
to pay off debts, while others sold their apartments merely
because of the temptation of high prices.
Surjadi said he is pretty sure that the new owners of the
apartments rent them to other people, instead of to house their
families.
"This is not right. The government meant to spend all that
money for the poor who need better places to live," Surjadi said.
The government has been building the fishermen's housing
complex in Muara Angke since 1978, including a low-cost apartment
building which was built last year. Up to now there is housing
for 1,016 families in the complex. Ninety-six apartments are
still under construction.
Donation
President Soeharto inaugurated the low-cost apartments, which
were constructed with a donation from the Dana Gotong Royong
Kemanusiaan Foundation, last year. The complex has five apartment
blocks, with each apartment measuring between 16 and 21 square
meters.
Observers said, however, the apartments are too luxurious for
the fishermen who are used to living in slums.
The city administration set aside Rp 4 million of its budget
to build apartments for fishermen in the hope that they would pay
for them in monthly installments.
Occupants of the upper story pay off their apartments in
monthly installments of Rp 45,000 (US$20.45) for 15 years, while
those on the ground floor pay Rp 55,000 per month. (yns)