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)