Houses unlawfully used as businesses

TANGERANG: Many house owners in the Citra Raya residential complex in Cikupa, Tangerang have illegally turned their property into business sites.

Many houses there have been turned into stores, home industries and small factories to produce various goods, including spare vehicle parts, Zulfikar, one of residents in the complex said on Wednesday.

However, Zulfikar blamed such violations on the developer for allowing house owners to run businesses that should be in industrial zones.

"Houses are places to live, not for selling things or for producing industrial goods," he said, pointing to a house, as an example, which had been used for producing purses with over 400 workers daily.

He called on all government agencies concerned to take action against rampant permit abuses.

The regency's chief of zoning and buildings Mursan confirmed that many house owners had violated certain zoning laws by changing the function of their houses into industrial sites.

"But as of today we can not take action against such violations since the regency council had not yet endorsed the supporting bylaws on changes of building functions," he said. -- JP