Thamrin defends building of small apartments

Thamrin defends building of small apartments

JAKARTA (JP): Director of city-owned construction company PD
Sarana Jaya Thamrin Djamain defended yesterday the city
administration's determination to build 18-square-meter low cost
apartments.

Thamrin told reporters that the city administration will not
stop building the 18 square-meter apartments just because of
criticism that they are too small for humans to live in.

Thamrin reiterated that he had never made any statement on the
cessation of the project.

"Any news saying that the project will be stopped is
groundless because the city administration intends to continue to
build this type of apartment in an effort to improve the
conditions of people living in slum areas," Thamrin said.

Critics stated recently that the 18 square-meter apartments
are inhumane and not suitable as homes.

However, Thamrin said this type of building is considered the
most feasible in terms of finance and ability of the people to
buy or rent the units.

This type of apartment is much better than shanties and other
temporary buildings in slum areas, he said, and based on research
conducted by the company there are many people in slum areas who
live in mere 12-square-meter houses.

When asked the number of 18 square-meter apartments to be
built in the city, Thamrin said that it will be handled by the
City Housing Office.

"I cannot answer that question because the policy on that
matter is set by the City Housing Office," he said.

Renting apartments

However, due to the financial condition of the administration,
Thamrin said his company has proposed to rent the apartments of
the above type rather than sell them.

"Under the rental system, the subsidy to be provided by the
administration is small. Moreover, the system will enable many
low income people to afford to have a place to live," he said.

He explained that the city administration is forced to provide
a subsidy amounting to 50 percent of the price of apartments
sold, while with renting the administration only has to provide
management fees.

Thamrin said the rent for an 18 square-meter apartment is set
at Rp 900 (US$0.40) to Rp 2,500 per day and that even unemployed
people can afford to rent at that rate.

Thamrin said at the moment his company is renting about 3,000
small low cost apartments all over the city, including in
Tambora, Karang Anyar and Penjaringan.

Originally, Thamrin said, the city administration through PD
Sarana Jaya only intended to rent apartments for those who badly
need it. The tenants were required to pay the rents on a daily
basis. In its development, however, the company started to sell
the units as well.

"Up until now the city administration has built two complexes
of low cost apartments in Penjernihan and Tanah Tinggi to be sold
to potential buyers. These facilities were built under financial
assistance from developers of luxurious apartments," he said.
(yns)