During The COVID-19 Pandemic, The Government Must Change Their View Of The Property Sector

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Employers' Association (Apindo) asked the government to change the way it views the property sector. This follows a request from property entrepreneurs to get stimulus from the government amid the conditions of the corona virus pandemic or COVID-19.

The head of Apindo for Property, Sanny Iskandar, said that the property sector cannot be seen from its orientation which is always only commercial. However, more than that, the property sector is the government's support in the infrastructure sector.

"The government should see this as an extension of the government. Because part of the business or the business world is always related to infrastructure. It must be seen like that, not only from a commercial perspective," said Sanny some time ago.

According to Sanny, entrepreneurs in the property sector are also not always associated with malls or shopping centers, hotels, or offices. However, not a few developers or developers are working on national company development projects.

"So this really has an extraordinary social effect. If there are no developers like these big ones, there are cities such as Bintaro Jaya, BSD, independent and medium-sized cities, including small-scale ones," he said. .

Sanny explained that large property companies might still be able to survive amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the government must also think about the fate of small developers in these regions. Because it is feared that the cash flow of this housing development company for low-income people (MBR) is not sufficient to survive.

"The business world of property developers varies and if we look at the many MBR companies, this is what we are worried about. It does not mean that we are not worried about non-MBR companies, but MBR is more susceptible to cash flow disruption," he said.

Meanwhile, Apindo Secretary Eddy Hussy said, MBR developers can be said to be the same as micro, small and medium enterprises (UMKM). The developer, who is building the one million house program, needs incentives in the realization of KPR, which is currently still experiencing problems in the field.

"If consumers buy a house, the process is slow or there are strict criteria from the bank. Banks are also selective and refuse so that they (MBR developers) have their sales disrupted. Therefore, during COVID-19 there must be special relaxation so that they can actually get mortgages, houses. sold, cash flow rotates. However, the reality is still limited, "said Eddy.