President dedicates cheap apartments for fishermen

President dedicates cheap apartments for fishermen

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto said yesterday that the
escalating land prices have increasingly forced low income
families to live in slum areas.

Speaking at the inauguration of a low-cost housing complex in
Muara Angke, North Jakarta, the President said that it is feared
that, if the trend is not addressed properly, only the haves will
be able to afford housing.

The new complex, which were constructed with a donation from
the Dana Gotong Royong Kemanusiaan Foundation, consist of five
blocks, each with 16 21-square-meter apartments. They are
exclusively for the use of fishermen who have been living in
nearby slum areas.

At the ceremony the President was accompanied by First Lady
Tien Soeharto, Minister of Social Services Inten Soeweno,
Minister of Public Works Radinal Moochtar and Jakarta Governor
Surjadi Soedirdja.

The President said that land-scarcity would remain a major
problem for Indonesia, which has a population of about 195
million.

"However, we have to thank God, as we have a high level of
social fraternity, which leads wealthy people to set aside part
of their incomes to help the needy," he added.

He said such fraternity was very important in helping to
reduce the gap between the poor and the rich.

The President hailed the Gotong Royong Kemanusiaan
Foundation's initiative of provide the donation, which was
collected from wealthy people for the construction of the
apartments in Muara Angke.

He also urged other foundations, organizations and other
wealthy people to follow the example set to help the poor get
proper housing.

Meanwhile, Minister Inten Soeweno reported earlier that the 80
apartment units are already being used by the fishermen.

Occupants of the upper story are obliged to pay for the
accommodation in monthly installments of Rp 45,000 (US$20.45) for
15 years for each apartment unit, while those on the ground floor
must pay Rp 55,000 per month, Inten said, adding that each family
gets a subsidy amounting to Rp 4 million from the city
administration.

Governor Surjadi said that the city administration is
constructing 2,687 cheap apartments of various types, ranging
from 18 square meters to 27 square meters in size, in addition to
the 8,738 apartments built earlier.

The dedication of the new apartments raises the number of
cheap apartments in Muara Angke alone to 1,016, he said.

At the dedication ceremony the President also held an informal
talk with occupants of the apartments.

"Please pay the installments on time, as the funds will be
used to develop similar facilities in other areas," the President
said, urging the occupants to save part of their incomes to
enable them to pay the installments.

The dedication ceremony was concluded with a tour of one of
the apartment blocks. (32)

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