The National Tenants’ Union of Ghana welcomes the announcement by Government in the 2021 budget read by the Hon. Majority Leader, and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, who doubles as the caretaker Minister for Finance, Hon. Osei Kyei–Mensah-Bonsu on government’s readiness to implement the much-touted new scheme that will provide eligible Ghanaians with low–interest loans to enable them to pay for rent advance.
As a Union, fronting the voice of more than 11 million tenants, we see this scheme as a laudable and significant relief to our members and largely to the general Ghanaian populace. However, we are skeptical about the fairness of the scheme and the possibility of the most vulnerable to access the facility when it is rolled out.
In August 2020, the Vice President of the Republic, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia during the launch of the 2020 NPP manifesto in Cape Coast said the scheme will help young graduates with their accommodation problems which we fully and sincerely agree with him. But it looks as if the scheme targets the formal sector workers without the informal. We are doubtful to the extent as to how those in this category of the low–income bracket stand to benefit from the scheme.
We will appreciate it immensely if the government can come out clear to outline specifically those who are eligible to apply and access the facility when it is rolled out in the future; because of the fate of many people regarding this scheme and how they stand to benefit from it is in limbo.
It is our fervent hope that this scheme will not be characterized by the nepotistic, select and choose means of awarding the rent loans when it commences, but rather use an opened process to enable both the rich and the poor to benefit unlike we usually see in many occasions.
The Union takes this opportunity through this statement to congratulate the new Works and Housing Minister, Hon. Asenso Boakye for assuming the high office of Housing Minister.
We also call and bring to his attention that the pledge he made to the people of Ghana during his vetting to facilitate and see to it that the National Housing Authority is established inspires confidence, and we will collaborate with him to churn out policies that see to it that majority of Ghanaian who cannot afford to pay rent advances exceeding the mandated 6 months ceiling period of rent have the opportunity to also live in safer and affordable housing.
We also urge the new minister to proffer policies that will inure to the benefit of the masses not the few elitists in our society. We are very optimistic that, Hon. Asenso Boakye will listen to the grassroots and the concerns of the masses to turn around the fortunes of the housing sector which is begging on its knees.
Thank you.
Frederick Opoku
Secretary-General
National Tenants’ Union of Ghana
