Regional governments urged to support 3-million-house program

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government has urged regional administrations to support President Prabowo Subianto's ambitious 3-million-house program, aimed at addressing the country’s housing backlog.

Minister of Home Affairs Muhammad Tito Karnavian made the statement during a coordination meeting on housing finance in Jakarta on Friday, according to a press release from his office on Saturday.

Karnavian called for regulations that reaffirm the housing program as part of the National Strategic Programs that regional governments are required to support.

To realize the program, the government has implemented several strategic policies, including exemptions from the Land and Building Acquisition Duty (BPHTB) and Building Approval (PBG) fees for low-income residents.

He noted that 492 out of 509 regions in Indonesia have already issued local regulations supporting the exemption policy. The remaining 17 regions are being urged to complete the process promptly.

Referring to Law No. 23 of 2014 on Regional Governance, Karnavian reminded regional leaders that they are legally obligated to implement National Strategic Programs under Article 67.

Failure to do so could result in sanctions, including possible dismissal, as outlined in Article 68.

“National Strategic Programs are the president’s flagship initiatives and must be supported,” he emphasized.

On the same occasion, Minister of Housing and Settlement Areas Maruarar Sirait reiterated his commitment to accelerating the public housing program by promoting social justice and bureaucratic efficiency.

He stressed the importance of synergy between the central government, regional governments, the banking sector, and the private sector.

Sirait also praised cross-sector collaboration for enabling policies such as the BPHTB and PBG exemptions, which help make housing more accessible to low-income citizens.