New rule on low-cost apartment

New rule on low-cost apartment

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration is preparing a new regulation which will require developers to build low-cost apartments instead of the modest houses they currently have to build, an official said.

H. Prawoto Danoemihardjo, the city's secretary assistant for the development administration, told reporters on Thursday that the new regulation will constitute a modification of Regulation No.540/1990.

"Under the existing regulation, developers are obliged to set aside 20 percent of housing estate land for the construction of modest houses," he said.

Under the new regulation, however, the developers will no longer be asked to build houses but low-cost apartments.

Developers to be asked to build the low-cost apartments are those whose lands for each housing estate covers at least 5,000 square meters, he said.

Unlike the social and public facilities which have to be handed over to the city administration, the low-cost apartments will be under the supervision of the developers after construction, Prawoto said, adding that the low-cost apartments have to be built in the same vicinity as the housing estates.

"What we need now is the social awareness of the developers. The developers should not make any excuses by saying that it is getting increasingly difficult to find land in Jakarta for the development of low-cost houses," he added.

Minister of Public Housing Akbar Tandjung urged the city administration recently to cancel building permits owned by developers who refuse to abide by the rules. (31)