Makassar Mayor accompanies Deputy Minister for Housing and Settlement Areas to inspect a slum area in Tallo

Makassar (ANTARA) - Makassar Mayor Munafri Arifuddin accompanied Deputy Minister for Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP) Fahri Hamzah to inspect a densely populated settlement in Pannampu Ward, Tallo District, to map out plans for providing decent housing for residents.

“The visit is part of a programme to monitor the condition of areas classified as slums that require serious handling in urban settlement development,” he said in Makassar on Friday.

Munafri Arifuddin, together with Fahri Hamzah, went along narrow lanes of residents’ housing not far from the Pannampu Traditional Market.

On site, the two observers witnessed houses built in close proximity with narrow access roads and a densely populated community.

Some buildings stood very close to one another, illustrating the major challenges in area development, including sanitation, drainage, and the quality of livable housing.

In addition to assessing physical conditions, the delegation also held dialogues with several local residents to hear directly about life in the area.

Head of Makassar City’s Housing and Settlement Agency (Disperkim), Mahyuddin, who also attended, explained that the city government is proposing a programme to redevelop the area via vertical housing with support from the central government.

“Today, the Deputy Minister for Housing and Settlement Areas visited one of the slum areas in Tallo to see conditions on the ground. We are also proposing vertical housing in the vicinity of the market with support from the central government,” he said.

He explained that vertical housing is seen as one solution to manage the dense settlement while improving the quality of housing for residents who have lived in areas with limited land.

With the vertical housing concept, it is hoped that the area can be more orderly, while providing more decent housing for residents.

The Makassar City Government also hopes for synergy with the Ministry of Public Housing and Public Works to accelerate addressing the slum area in the region, so the urban settlement programme can be realised soon.

“For this field visit, we hope it will strengthen the synergy between the central and local governments in pushing the acceleration of addressing slum areas in Makassar,” he added.