More apartments planned for small business owners

JAKARTA (JP): PT Sarana Jaya plans to build four other low- cost apartment projects here, its development director said yesterday.

Kemal Basha said the apartments are for low-income people with small businesses. They will follow the first type of apartment in Rawabilal, Tebet, South Jakarta.

He said the apartments' basement and lower floor would be allocated for small-scale business purposes.

The other four apartments will be built in Pondok Kelapa, East Jakarta, Cengkareng, West Jakarta and Pejompongan, Central Jakarta and Penjaringan, North Jakarta.

"Pondok Kelapa is our first priority," Kemal said, adding the 38,000-square meter plot was ready.

"We don't need to take down any buildings," he said.

The site in Pejompongan houses several small shops and restaurants.

According to the master plan, Pondok Kelapa will have a one- tower, nine-story apartment with a total area of 13,300 square meters.

Unlike the five-story apartment in Rawabilal, a lift will be provided for Pondok Kelapa residents, Kemal said.

The 17-story apartments in Cengkareng and Pejompongan will cover 31,000 square-meters, while a market survey is still ongoing for the plan in Penjaringan.

Rawabilal was inaugurated by President Soeharto in 1983 for small business owners. Last year the deteriorated apartment was torn down and renovated. It was officially reopened last Friday.

"The apartment's floors and walls were severely damaged, not only because there was no maintenance fee," Kemal said. He said the structures could not hold the work equipment owned by residents, including blacksmiths.

Rawabilal charges about Rp 300,000 (US$115.8) a month in rent and Rp 30,000 for service. Residents are required to have at least Rp 20 million to Rp 100 million in capital. Sarana Jaya management said so far only six original occupants of Rawabilal have confirmed taking up the new apartments while many others have moved out.

"Even those with businesses of Rp 10 million couldn't afford the apartments," a Sarana Jaya source said earlier. He said they were just being realistic to avoid further lack of maintenance.

Kemal said the apartments for small scale business projects were based on a "three-in-one" concept. The apartments functioned as a house, a trade stall and a small scale industrial site to enable people to work from home, he said.

Former occupants of the low-cost apartment projects here have been accused of illegally transferring their ownership rights, saying they could not keep their businesses if they stayed in the apartments.

Rawabilal's basement houses flower traders, while banks, restaurants and other businesses will occupy the first floor. (07)