Govt, IBRA to build low-cost apartments for urban poor

Govt, IBRA to build low-cost apartments for urban poor

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Ministry of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure and
the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) have proposed
building low-cost flats for Jakarta's poor on disused IBRA land,
a senior official at the ministry revealed on Friday.

Kasru Susilo, an expert on the economy and foreign
cooperation, said the low-cost flats could be used to house
illegal squatters living along riverbanks and railway lines or
under flyovers.

"The flats will be built by the government and the poor can
either lease or purchase them at lower prices," Kasru told The
Jakarta Post.

Kasru, speaking after meeting with participants of the Asian
People's Dialogue, did not know which land would be used.

IBRA inherited the lands from a number of private and state
enterprises after they failed to repay government debts.

Kasru said the ministry and IBRA were discussing the
possibility of establishing a fund with the interest to be used
to provide cheap homes for the poor.

However, he said any resettlement plan was only a short-term
solution to the urban poverty problem.

"But poverty can only be addressed thoroughly if we involve
all government institutions concerned, including the city
administration, in designing urban policies on poverty," he said,
adding the poor must be included in the discussion.

Earlier on Thursday, resettlement minister Soenarno told
participants of the Asian People's Dialogue II on poverty in
Cibubur, East Jakarta that the ministry would ensure the poor
were involved in the debate over their future.

"We are seeking alternative solutions for the new resettlement
(of the poor)"

Soenarno said the poor would be encouraged to contribute to
the scheme. For example, the poor could provide the materials
needed for the homes, while the government could construct the
amenities needed to support the housing project.

Soenarno said the "community-based resettlement" could slash
the costs by up to 60 percent when compared to the existing
resettlement project.

However, Soenarno admitted the final say was in the hands of
the city administration following the implementation of regional
autonomy. All discussions must involve the administration, he
said.

Meanwhile, Wardah Hafid, head of the Urban Poor Consortium,
said that any attempt by poor communities to cooperate with the
city administration always hit problems as the administration did
not care about urban poverty.

"The administration is concerned with how to get more money
for its coffers, rather than the betterment of the lives of the
poor."

Similarly, Kasman, a pedicab driver from West Jakarta, was
skeptical the administration could resolve the issue.

"They are never serious (in dealing with urban poverty
problems)," Kasman said.

Instead of managing the "pedicab" issue, Kasman said, the
administration preferred to eject them from the city.