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Momodou
Denmark
11634 Posts |
 Posted - 20 Jul 2013 : 15:34:25
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Most of the time I wonder how people are making ends meet. Its not easy and there is no money.
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RENT CRISIS DEEPENS IN THE COUNTRY
Foroyaa Editorial: Published on Friday, 19 July 2013
THE STATE SHOULD INVEST IN LOW COST HOUSING
Property owners and tenants are both complaining and the rent tribunals are now being expected to preside over cases that are almost impossible to resolve.
Many people have no choice but to pay rent as urbanization deepens and traditional extended families disappear. Many families are now housed in two and three bedroom houses with many children.
The average monthly income in the Gambia is below three thousand dalasi a month. Most two or three bed room houses have gone above the 1,500 dalasi mark. Hence, half of family earnings now go to pay rent. Today, a family of five could only eat bread at a cost of 30 dalasi a day. They could only get butter at a cost of 15 dalasi a day and use sugar at a cost of 8 dalasi a day and milk at a cost of 15 dalasi a day. This adds up to 60 dalasi daily. This adds up to 1,980 dalasi monthly for breakfast. Hence, many families are finding it impossible to provide two meals a day.
We have reliably learnt that many families are living from hand to mouth. Many in fact depend on deficit financing by arranging a contract with shopkeepers who provide them with daily rations and they pay at the end of the month.
Since rent is a monthly expenditure and food is the priority, most family members find it difficult to meet rent obligations. It is even worse now since electricity must be bought before one could have use of it.
Many people who have invested in rented property also rely on it for their daily survival. They also would not be able to make ends meet without the rents they collect on a monthly basis. This is why rent tribunals are busy trying to get tenants to pay their rent by begging landlords who cannot survive without rental income to give chance to their poor tenants to raise the income to pay their rent.
This is breeding frustrations on both sides and investment in rental property appears to be diminishing and many rich Gambians with money are now turning to neighbouring countries for investments.
Poverty is producing a vicious cycle of both landlords and tenants being deprived of the basic means of survival. The government should do a special study of this crisis to find a solution.
Tension between landlords and tenants is indeed on the rise.
Source: Foroyaa Burning Issues
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2013 : 15:49:16
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Most of the time I wonder how people are making ends meet. Its not easy.
Momodou, what you say is very true, there is no problem with the Foroyaa piece,what is the real problem ? the real problem is.
THE VERY VERY HIGH COST of building materials, Cement, corrugate, wood,( a good deal of which is exported to China,thereby leading to high cost locaIly,due to lack of availability.
I think it is fair to say that MANY Gambians have family land that they could build on but cannot afford building materials to construct a dwelling,if this is the case there should be no need for the government to build low cost housing to rent.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Momodou
Denmark
11634 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2013 : 17:00:19
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Government investment in buildings or any kind of infrastructure without proper maintenance plans will just be a waste of resources. This is evident everywhere.
Toubab, what is true with regards to the local timber used for buildings being exported to China. The Chinese are paying more and thereby creating high demand and price increase. We are losing our precious trees to illegal logging and most of the timber also comes from the rebel held areas of Cassamance.
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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