GOVT TO BUILD TWO MILLION LOW-COST HOUSES

Medan, Jan 29 (ANTARA) - The government plans to build two million low-cost houses for people in the middle- to low-income bracket until 2014, Housing Minister Suharso Monoarfa said here on Friday.

"For people in the middle- and low-income brackets two million houses will be built in five years time until 2014," he said after attending the opening of a national working meeting of the United Development Party.

The minister said that in general demand for housing was quite high at 700,000 units a year.

Based on that the demand for five years would total 3.5 units, he said.

Due to limited funds the government however would only build two million units until 2014, he said.

The government hopes private parties would participate to fulfill the rest of the demand, he said.

Regarding housing needs in North Sumatra the minister said around 200,000 people including civil servants in the region are expecting low-cost houses.

In view of that he hoped the provincial as well as district and city administrations could make a plan to build around 20,000 houses a year.

He said he believed the progrm could be implemented using the civil servants' sidedish benefit funds recorded at Rp20 per person per day.

Based on 25 working days a month a total of Rp500,000 could be collected to pay the installments. "It is estimated the money will be enough for paying the installments," he said.

He said North Sumatra's provincial, district and city administrations must be able to provide the land for the project.

He said if the land procurement could be done quickly and the location could be ascertained the cost would be lower to make people including civil servants able to afford them.