By: Silvia AP )*
Public Housing Savings (Tapera) is one of the Indonesian government programs which aims to help low-income people own their own homes. This program was introduced as a solution to the problem of home ownership which is often a big challenge for people with limited incomes. The government’s determination to make it easier for people to own a house is a solution and should be appreciated. The emergence of differences of opinion is normal, but solutions must be found, not debated.
The background to the birth of the Tapera program cannot be separated from the socio-economic realities in Indonesia. Home ownership is one of the basic human needs. However, in reality, many Indonesian people have difficulty meeting these needs because of high property prices that are not commensurate with their income. Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that there is a significant gap between house prices and the financial capabilities of the majority of Indonesian people, especially those in the low-income category.
It is hoped that Tapera can improve the overall quality of life and have a positive impact on future generations. As stated by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (Jokowi), Tapera is a program designed effectively to support home ownership for the Indonesian people. This program not only provides the benefits of home ownership to individuals, but also plays an important role in advancing the economic and social sectors.
This program is designed based on Law no. 4 of 2016 concerning Public Housing Savings. This law regulates the formation and management of housing savings which aims to help people, especially low-income groups, to have a decent home. Tapera is managed by the Tapera Management Agency (BP) which reports directly to the President and is supervised by the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing.
Commissioner of the Tapera Management Agency, Heru Pudyo Nugroho, said the Tapera Program makes it easier for low-income people to obtain housing. Heru said house prices are categorized as affordable if they are no more than three times the household income in a year, or a maximum index of three, if referring to the residential affordability index.
Referring to Law Number 4 of 2016, Heru said, Tapera aims to make it easier for people to get decent housing. He said Tapera is a long-term home financing solution in Indonesia. The government hopes that this program will help people, especially workers, to own a house easily and easily.
Current conditions in a number of provinces in Indonesia show that it is still difficult for people to own housing at a price that is affordable for their income. Even in several provinces with high populations, such as Java and Bali, the residential affordability figure is above five, meaning it is very unaffordable.
Tapera’s working mechanism is quite simple but effective. Every worker, from both the formal and informal sectors, is required to save a small portion of their income into the Tapera fund. The amount of this savings has been determined by the government, usually in the form of a percentage of salary or monthly income. For formal sector workers, Tapera’s contribution is made by directly deducting a small portion of the worker’s salary every month, while for informal sector workers, the payment mechanism is more flexible and can be adjusted to their income.
Tapera participants are workers and self-employed workers whose income is at least the minimum wage. All participants are required to pay contributions, but only participants in the Low Income Community (MBR) category can take advantage of Tapera financing. Meanwhile, non-MBR are entitled to receive their savings and proceeds when they retire.
The benefits of the Tapera program are very large for low-income people. First, Tapera provides easier and more affordable access to housing finance. With this program, people no longer need to worry about high interest rates on loans from commercial banks which are often burdensome. The interest offered in the Tapera program is much lower and is adjusted to the participant’s financial capabilities.
Second, Tapera helps people to be disciplined in saving. This program requires participants to save regularly every month. In this way, participants not only get direct benefits in the form of housing financing, but are also helped to build good savings habits, which in turn can improve their overall financial well-being.
Third, Tapera also contributes to improving the quality of life of the community. Having a decent house is an important factor in improving the quality of life. By having their own home, people can live more comfortably, safely and stably. In addition, home ownership is also often associated with improving social and economic status, which can open up greater opportunities for home owners to improve their standard of living.
On the other hand, support from various parties is also very important for Tapera’s success. Central and local governments, financial institutions, housing developers, and communities themselves need to work together to achieve the program’s goals. The government needs to create supportive policies and regulations, financial institutions must provide products and services that suit the needs of Tapera participants, housing developers need to provide affordable housing, and the community must actively participate in this program. Through Tapera, the dream of owning your own home is no longer impossible for low-income people.
)* The author is from the editorial team of the Student Press Institute (LPM) Ideas