Official bemoans poor condition of apartments

Official bemoans poor condition of apartments

JAKARTA (JP): A city administration official expressed concern
yesterday over the poor condition of the city's low-cost
apartments, which are designed to help eliminate slum areas.

R.S. Museno, deputy governor for people's welfare, told
reporters on the steps of city hall that if the current situation
continues, this program is feared to only change the slum areas
in certain areas to another type of poverty.

Under the program, squatters are moved to low-cost apartment
complexes with the aim of requiring them to live more orderly in
a well-planned residence.

This program was designed by governor Surjadi Soedirdja to
provide a better environment for people who live in slum areas
and also to maximize the utilization of the limited land
available in Jakarta.

"Unfortunately, however, it is not easy to change people's
behavior," Museno said, adding that conditions of a number of
apartments are not much better than their old slum areas.

He acknowledged, however, that changing squatters' bad habits
of living an unclean life is time consuming because they are
already set in their ways.

The city administration is striving to continue improving the
squatters' awareness of cleanliness through a public presentation
program.

"This is important because no matter how good the city's
program is, it will be meaningless if the bad behavior remains,"
Museno said, adding that in every low-cost apartment the
administration will assign a manager to be responsible for
cleanliness.

He said that the condition of low-cost apartments in
Penjaringan, North Jakarta, is just like the old slum area before
the building was set up. The complex smells foul because gutters
are full of garbage, thereby blocking dirty water from
circulating.

The sanitation of the complex is also irritating, with garbage
scattered to and fro with people using their windows to dry
clothes, he said.

Romulus S. Sihombing, member of the City Council's Commission
A which is in charge of government, security and public order,
shared the same opinion after visiting the Penjaringan apartment
on Monday.

The low cost apartment in Penjaringan, occupied in 1986 by
fire victims and people whose land had been appropriated,
implemented a daily rent system in which occupants should make
monthly payments.

The apartment has three sizes of rooms; 18, 36 and 54 square
meters, and there are a total of 1,200 rooms. Rents vary
according to floor.

Now there are several low-cost apartments in the city, such as
in Tanah Tinggi and Tambora. Similar apartments will be built
throughout the city in the near future, including in Bendungan
Hilir, Pejompongan, Central Jakarta.

Income

However, Prawoto S. Danoemihardjo, the City Secretary's
assistant, said that the most important thing to change their
attitude and create cleanliness in the new environment is to
increase their income.

"It will be hard to change their attitude toward sanitation if
their income is still low because sanitation will be changed into
a demand once they have higher incomes," Prawoto said.

That's why the city administration should concentrate it's
efforts to increase occupants' incomes through various training
programs, he said.

Prawoto pointed to the fact that occupants should spend more
money on apartments because of additional costs they should pay,
including electricity in hallways and cleaning services.

But he also said that it is not easy to change people's
attitudes to pursue additional income because of their
traditional laziness.

"Indonesians tend to feel satisfied quite easily. When they
think they have enough they will not try to get more money,"
Prawoto said, adding that it will take time to change that way of
thinking. (yns)