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)
Photo on Page 2