President: The Indonesian Government is Trying Hard to Provide Livable Houses for Its Citizens

Detiktoday.com – The city of Surabaya on Monday, October 5, 2020, was trusted to host the Global Habitat Day 2020 commemoration event. Surabaya was chosen among a number of nominations to host the event as a form of recognition for the city’s achievements in urbanization and human settlement issues.

President Joko Widodo, who gave a virtual speech at the event, welcomed all delegates who attended the event in person in Surabaya. The Global Commemoration of World Habitat Day this time was held very limited and adhered to strict health protocols.

“It is an honor for the Indonesian people that the city of Surabaya is trusted to host The Global Observance of The World Habitat Day in 2020,” he said.

The World Habitat Day 2020 Global Commemoration Event was held to raise international awareness of urbanization trends, challenges and visions for sustainable urban development, promote international cooperation, and contribute to global efforts to build just, prosperous and sustainable cities, and improve the environment. and people’s quality of life.

“We met in the city of Surabaya to convince the world that the New Urban Agenda, the New Urban Agenda, in 2036 cannot be delayed anymore. Currently 55 percent of the world’s population lives in cities. In 2050 the number is estimated to increase to 68 percent. The highest increase occurred in Asia and Africa, “said the President.

In 2030, the Indonesian state itself is predicted to have a population of nearly 300 million, of which 63.4 percent live in urban areas. For this reason, according to the President, the issue of urban arrangement and a new urban agenda is very important.

The Head of State explained that if this matter was not prepared and handled seriously, the rapid growth of society could have triggered a number of problems. Starting from the problems of density and poverty, the environment and the availability of public space, the availability of basic infrastructure, especially clean water and sanitation, including housing problems and various other urban problems.

“However, if we handle it well, I believe that urbanization can be a tremendous opportunity for the progress of the nation. It can become a center of creativity and innovation, can spur economic growth, and improve the quality of life and welfare of its citizens,” he added.

The global commemoration of World Habitat Day this year carries the theme “Housing for All: A Better Urban Future” which is considered by the President as a highly relevant theme for the whole world. A decent home is a basic need of all people around the world which will strengthen the family as the main pillar of the nation’s strength, as well as act as the first bulwark against various health risks including the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The Indonesian government strives so that every citizen can occupy a livable house. Since 2015 the One Million Houses program has been implemented. The target of building one million housing units per year has been successfully surpassed in 2018 by focusing on low-income communities,” the President said.

Until now, the Indonesian government has also continued to develop financial innovations to increase access to housing for the community in this focus group. Private participation, community participation, and participation of financial institutions continue to be encouraged where the implementation of the Public Housing Savings Law (Tapera), which guarantees the availability of long-term and sustainable sources of funds, continues to be maintained by the government.

The Head of State continued, he and his staff also paid serious attention to improving the quality of slum villages in a number of regions in Indonesia. The Kampung Improvement Program and the KOTAKU (Cities Without Slums) program are implemented with an emphasis on collaboration between the government, local governments, the private sector and the community in providing basic services such as clean water and proper sanitation.

In addition, like other countries in the world that are currently busy dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, Indonesia has made this pandemic a lesson to build tough and healthy cities in the future.

“The Covid-19 pandemic is also a momentum for learning and reflection to design policies for planning and urban management that are inclusive and equitable, increasing resilience in dealing with natural and non-natural disasters, including resilience against disease outbreaks,” he said.

Through the Global Habitat Day 2020 Commemoration, President Joko Widodo hopes that delegates from all over the country can share ideas, exchange knowledge, expertise and experiences, as well as forge cooperation and strengthen collaboration to increase the resilience of cities to face pandemics and other disasters. .