The government of Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday with a Qatari investor to build one million affordable homes, which is one of President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship programs.
The agreement was signed by Housing Minister Marwarar SiraitChairman of the Qatari Qalaa International Group Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, at the Presidential Palace, in the presence of the Indonesian President.
“We give priority to the lower segments of the middle class who live in cities,” Marwarar told reporters, referring to the social segments targeted by the project.
The government will provide the land to build housing, while the Qatari side will assume the role of the main contractor for the project in addition to financing it.
The Indonesian president said during his election campaign that he aims to build 3 million homes annually in villages and cities to support the lower segments of the middle class.
Major projects
President Prabowo is betting on major national projects and the enormous natural resources that the archipelago abounds to reduce the poverty rate, which exceeds 9% of the total number of citizens.
After his victory last October, the new president pledged to continue an economic program drawn up by Jokowi, but he also pointed to working to alleviate poverty in his country, which has a population of more than 280 million people.
It is noteworthy that Prabowo pledged to continue the project to move the capital from crowded Jakarta to Nusantara, a green city being built in eastern Borneo, but there is speculation that he intends to suspend it and keep Jakarta as the capital of the archipelago.
This city will not be ready before 2045, as the rapid construction process is depleting state coffers.
