Heaptalk, Jakarta – In a significant step toward improving worker welfare, the Minister of Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP), Maruarar Sirait, announced the government’s commitment to provide 20,000 subsidized housing units specifically for laborers. As a concrete measure, 100 of these homes will be officially handed over to laborer on May 1, coinciding with International Labor Day.
“I don’t want to carry out groundbreakings ceremonial without a clear timeline for completion. I want real, tangible results. That is why, on May 1, we will hand over 100 subsidized housing units to labour as a way of celebrating Labor Day, No groundbreaking ceremonial, just straight to hand over units,” stated Minister Maruarar Sirait during the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Manpower and Statistics Indonesia (BPS) at Wisma Mandiri in Jakarta on April 10.
Regarding the location, Minister Ara conveyed that point will be announced soon after the internal meeting, but the location will be not far from Jakarta. He, further, affirmed that the initiative aligns with President Prabowo Subianto’s direct mandate to enhance public welfare, especially by providing affordable housing opportunities for workers.
Minister of Manpower Yassierli expressed full support for the program, saying, “We extend our deepest gratitude to the Minister of PKP, BPS, BTN, and BP Tapera. This is a remarkable collaboration and a clear demonstration of President Prabowo’s commitment, followed up by real action from the PKP Ministry.”
In addition to housing provisions, Minister Ara also announced a new policy to raise the income threshold for eligibility to access subsidized housing loans. For the Greater Jakarta area (Jabodetabek), the new maximum income will be Rp 12 million per month for unmarried applicants and Rp 14 million for married applicants.
The policy shift has been well received by labor organizations. Ahmad Supriyadi, a representative of the Confederation of All Indonesian Workers’ Unions (KSPSI), welcomed the move, stating that home ownership could boost workers’ morale and contribute to better livelihoods for their families.
