Tangerang plans more low-cost houses

Tangerang plans more low-cost houses

TANGERANG (JP): A total of 5,000 low-cost houses will be built
in stages at Cempaka and Bojongloa villages in the Tangerang
district of Cisoka.

Zuhaedi, executive director of PT Jalur Mustika Mandiri (JMM)
which is in charge of the project, said yesterday that in the
first stage the construction of 250 houses is expected to be
completed next April, another 500 in the second stage, 1,000 in
the third, with the remainder in the fourth stage due for
completion in November, 1996.

Zuhaedi said that the low-cost houses to be built consist of
the standard 21 and 36 square-meter types. He said that the
construction will cover an area of 70 hectares.

The head of the Cisoka district, H. Benyamin Davnie said the
housing construction in his jurisdiction is appropriate because
Cisoka is designed to be a residential area.

Nevertheless, he added that the developer should appropriate
the land according to legal procedures. "This is imperative to
prevent any future disputes between the developer and locals,"
Davnie staid.

However a dispute actually happened before Davnie made this
statement. Several villagers of Cempaka and Bojongloa have been
uneasy because of the developer's unpunctual payments for their
land. JMM promised to pay Rp 3,500 to Rp 8,000 per square meter
to the land owners.

Zuhaedi admitted that his company was late in paying the
compensation. "This happened because the Tangerang regency
administration delayed issuing our building permit," he defended.

"JMM had actually filed an application for the permit last
April but the permit was only issued in September," he added.
(13/23)