Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) called on housing and property developer Real Estate Indonesia (REI) to pay attention to the social and environment impacts while building housing.

President Jokowi emphasized that no drought and flooding should occur in the village area due to housing construction.

"Heed to the social and environmental impacts. This is important. Do not build residential areas that cause nearby wells to dry up and flood. Please, provide trash containers in residential areas," President Jokowi noted in his remarks at the REI XVII National Conference 2023 in Jakarta, Wednesday.

The head of state urged REI to continue collaboration with the government to provide healthy and proper housing through the one million houses program.

Moreover, the property industry and real estate developers had been urged to take strategic measures to face opportunities and challenges.

One step is to solve the gap in public housing ownership, or the backlog of 12.1 million.

"Our needs are still very large. Our backlog of housing ownership is still 12.1 million. This is an opportunity where all the REI members can do it," he emphasized.

According to the president, large opportunities exist to provide housing for people on account of an increase in the number of new families reaching 700 thousand to 800 thousand annually.

REI can capitalize on this opportunity when Indonesia recorded positive economic growth at 5.17 percent.

Indonesia has clocked an economic growth of above five percent for seven consecutive years.

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Translator: Asri Mayang Sari
Editor: Sri Haryati
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