Jakarta. Government will continue subsidizing simple housing for low-income people. This is to realize fairness and balance in the opportunity to own a proper house.

“Without a subsidy in simple housing, there will not be justness in the country,” said Vice President Jusuf Kalla when officially opening the national meeting (rakernas) of Real Estate Indonesia (REI) 2015 at Ritz Carlton Hotel, Jakarta, today. The meeting this year is taking the theme of “Making a Synergy to Build One Million Houses, to Boost Property Investment and National Economic Growth”.

The Vice President asked property developers united in REI to jointly forge justice and balance in the urban life in Indonesia.

“We see many luxurious houses and apartments advertised on TV everyday, yet at the same time many grubby houses along Ciliwung River are torn away. This will hurt many people,” he said.

Mr Kalla then appreciated REI’s commitment to realize one million simple houses as set by the government.
The public’s need of housing, he added, will always increase in line with the population growth. Indonesia is now populated by 250 people. If there are four people living in a house, the Vice President said, there are 60 million houses needed.

“If population grows 1.5 percent per year, every year we need one million additional houses,” he said.

Other than having regard to the housing suitability, Mr Kalla said, property developers should also pay attention to providing green areas and public facilities.

To promote “one million simple houses” program, the Vice President asked banking industries to apply competitive interest.

“Banks also play a crucial role here. We even made Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN) as a bank specially handling housing,” he said.

Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basoeki Hadimoeljono, Land and Spatial Planning Minister Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin)’s chairman Rosan Roselani also attended the event.