GOVERNMENT PREPARES INNOVATIONS TO REACH HOUSING TARGET

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 27 (Antara) -  The government has launched its annual one million home development program to meet the need of its people for housing, though it has never reached the target since the scheme was launched in 2015.          Hence, the government should prepare strategic steps to meet the housing target. The one million house program, as proclaimed by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in 2015, is expected to be met, among others, with the assistance of a number of digital technology innovations prepared by the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR).          "PUPR supports disruptive technology  to improve services in the housing sector and to make the process faster, better and cheaper," said Secretary General of the Ministry of PUPR Anita Firmanti, in a written statement received in Jakarta on Thursday (Oct 25).          According to Firmanti, disruptive technologies are expected to support the achievement of the one million house development program launched by President Jokowi to gradually reduce the shortage of housing in Indonesia.          One of the innovations that are needed to make this happen is information technology that supports the efficiency of the housing market based on information on housing demands.          In addition, digital technology is also considered to be able to improve supply chain efficiency in the housing development process.

GOVERNMENT FAILS TO MEET ITS ONE MILLION HOUSE TARGET

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 23 (Antara) - The government seems to be failing again in meeting its target to develop one million houses for homeless families this year, as it could successfully build only 765,120 units up to the end of last month.          The government has since 2015 launched an annual one million house development program, yet it was unable to meet the target since then. In 2015, it only developed 699,770 units, while in 2016, it built 765,120 houses.          Public Works and Public Housing Ministry acknowledged that it had fallen short of its target to build one million units of houses a year.          "Yes, we have not reached the target. The realization has reached only 765,120 units this year, including 70 percent houses for low-income people (MBR) and 30 percent for non-MBR," Director General of Housing Khalawi Abdul Hamid told reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday (Dec 5).          Hamid stated that the program was launched to reduce the backlog of 7.6 million units, which grow by 800 thousand units per year. Based on the data of the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) and the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), there were 13.5 million homeless families in 2014. The housing backlog has reached 7.6 million units.

"TAPERA" EXPECTED TO HELP SOLVE HOUSING BACKLOG

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, March 2 (Antara) - The newly enacted law on public housing savings (UU Tapera) scheme is expected to help the government tackle the housing backlog in the country and facilitate small employees and other low-paid workers to own houses.          Chairman of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) Irman Gusman hoped that the enactment of the draft law on Tapera would overcome the problems being faced by people from the low-income group who are keen to own houses.          "With the law on public housing, all stakeholders are expected to have solutions to the housing problems being faced by the people," Irman stated while opening a group discussion at the Parliament building on Wednesday last week.          He emphasized that it was mandatory to make efforts to meet the basic necessity of the public such as by issuing a law on public housing to facilitate people to own houses.          "It is a mandatory matter. Efforts should not only be focused on a certain sector such as on financial management," he emphasized.          The government should narrow the gap in housing ownership in the society. Through regulations, the government is obligated to provide housing for all sections of the society, noted Irman.          The House of Representatives (DPR) enacted into law the Bill on Tapera scheme on Tuesday (Feb. 23) last week.

HOUSING PROGRAM FOR LOW-INCOME PEOPLE IN PROGRESS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 11 (Antara) -- The Indonesian government is developing houses under its one million housing development program to provide 603,516 shelters to the country's low-income people (MBR) and 396,464 others to non-MBR families.          President Joko Widodo, who is popularly known as Jokowi, recently (April 29) launched the one million housing development program simultaneously in nine regions through a video conference centered in Ungaran in Semarang, Central Java.          In Ungaran, the president conducted the ceremonial groundbreaking for the construction of 103,135 houses as part of the first phase of the construction of one million houses.          In the first phase, the government will build 331,693 houses for low-income people in the nine regions of Semarang, North Sumatra, South Sumatra, Jakarta, Banten, West Java, East Java, Central Kalimantan and South Sulawesi.          In these regions, the laying of the cornerstones was carried out simultaneously, marking the beginning of the construction of one million houses. It was done through a video conference with the president.          Of the 603,561 units of houses prepared for low-income people, 331,693 will be built in the first phase, 98,020 in the second phase and 173,803 in the third stage.          Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono had said that his ministry will commence work this year to reduce the large backlog in the implementation of the housing program.