Gov’t to Speed Up Housing Programs for Low-Income Communities

President Prabowo Subianto Tuesday (01/07) chairs a limited Cabinet meeting with several Ministers of the Red and White Cabinet at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta. (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat)

President Prabowo Subianto Tuesday (01/07) at the Merdeka Palace chaired a limited cabinet meeting with several Ministers of the Red and White Cabinet to discuss ways to accelerate housing development for low-income communities and implement pro-people policies in the housing sector.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Minister of Housing and Settlements Maruarar Sirait said that the Government has built approximately 40,000 housing units since October last year.

According to him, the progress will be enhanced through the use of state land, including confiscated land from corruption cases, assets from Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance (BLBI), and expired land use rights (HGU).

“We will continue creating a legal, fair, and prudent framework, especially for low-income communities earning below 8 million rupiah,” he stated, adding that the President also emphasized the importance of financial schemes for informal workers.

Maruarar also outlined several pro-people policies that the Government has been implementing in the first 90 days of the administration, namely the elimination of Land and Building Acquisition Fees (BPHTB) and Building Structure Fees (BBG), as well as a six-month exemption from Value-Added Tax (VAT) for houses priced below Rp2 billion.

The Government also aims to speed up the building permit process, and facilitate investors in housing sector, he added.

“We must create a strong team so that when investors come, the legal framework is ready, locations for housing are available, and the rights and obligations of the investors are clear. Having said that, we must also uphold mutual respect and put national interests above everything. This should contribute to high-quality economic growth in Indonesia,” the Minister remarked. (BPMI Presidential Secretariat/DNS) (RI/EP)