Hold Stakeholder Talks To Tackle The Skyrocketing Rent Advance, Cost—NPP Secretary To Govt

Describe it truth or straight talk, you are not far from right as the Eastern Regional Secretary of the Ruling New Patriotic Party, NPP, Jeff Konadu has admitted the suffering of the masses under the current government.

Mr Konadu who led his party to convince Ghanaian electorates into believing that under President Akufo-Addo government, economic hardship including huge rent advances would become a thing of the past, has made a sudden U-turned and cries more than ever.

He is tired of the hardship, and is calling on the government to take urgent steps with pragmatic policies to curb the skyrocketing rent advances in the Country.

Jeff Konadu made the call at a ceremony to hand over five borehole drilled by Bryan Acheampong Foundation at Takrowatwene in Afram Plains South District of the Eastern Region last Saturday.

According to the NPP regional scribe, the current rent advances being demanded by Landlords and their agents, particularly in urban areas are outrageous thereby increasing the already hardship that Ghanaians are facing.

He described the situation as a “very serious social protection and security issue because the youth are suffering” hence government must intervene and address it with good social policies.

Under the current Rent Act, ACT 1963, tenants are supposed to pay between one to six months rent advance, but most landlords have defied that law and demand two years or more instead despite the high rent charge month.

Rent charges in Ghana though vary on regional basis and specific community the facility or house is located, it is generally high to low-income earners, especially the youth who are out from senior high school.

The situation many economic analysts say has led to the springing up of slums and ghettoes in the urban cities.

Depending on the region and the residential area, a Chamber and Hall Self Contain accommodation in Accra may be rented as high as Ghc500 per month for 2years advance, especially in prime areas while in Koforidua, same room is rented at most Ghc250 per month.

The situation has been blamed on the widening housing deficit in the Country which has hit 2 million giving landlords field day to take advantage of the high demand to increase rent advances anyhow and anytime without break or control.

This, the NPP Regional Secretary called on the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection to liaise with the appropriate agencies to deal with the troubling rent issues.

Konadu said, the rent issue is becoming a security threat if government fail to take strenuous measure to contain it, stressing that many people come to those of them who are known politicians on daily basis to ask for support to rent and the situation is getting worse than before.

He said it is a national problem that needs an inclusive debate to find a lasting solution and urged that, the government should forgo politics and call for a stakeholders conference on rent to tackle the matter.

SOURCE: modernghana.com with files from kasapafmonline