Malawi rolls out house plan for the poor
What you need to know:
- At government calculation, a modest three bedroom house would cost about $1,125 and beneficiaries are expected to pay half of that amount in a period of four years.
- Msaka, however, said 965 houses will be constructed across the country for the most vulnerable groups of people including the elderly and child-headed households.
- Economic analysts have condemned the introduction of subsidy on iron sheets and cement saying the country economy is already overburden with over $11 million that has been set aside to subsidize fertilizer and seeds.
LILONGWE, Tuesday
President Peter Mutharika government has rolled out one of its major campaign promises that would see government spending spending closer to $17.5 million for the subsidy of iron sheets and cement for low cost houses.
Not to be outdone by the then President Joyce Banda’s project of building low cost houses to the poor during the run for the Presidential office, Mr Mutharika had promised Malawians to avail subsidised iron sheets and cement as opposed to building a house to few individuals.
Minister of Land and Housing Bright Msaka told Parliament on Monday that government has set aside $17.5 million (Ksh1.5bn) in the 2014/15 National budget that would enable over 15,000 families across the country to benefit from the subsidies.
CONSTITUENCIES
He said to ensure equity each of the 193 parliamentary constituencies will have 80 households that will benefit from the project with each household having access to 30 iron sheets and 30 bags of cement. The household will also have access to four wooden window frames and panels, five wooden doors among other things.
“Each beneficiary is expected to contribute 50 per cent of the whole project of building a low cost three bedroom house,” the minister told parliament.
At government calculation, a modest three bedroom house would cost about $1,125 and beneficiaries are expected to pay half of that amount in a period of four years.
The minister outlined the criteria for the inclusion in the project will include those people living in a grass thatched house with no cement, those that are in the process of building a house but they do not have the iron sheets and cements, those that have the financial capability to meet the obligations of the project as well as low level civil servants.
Msaka, however, said 965 houses will be constructed across the country for the most vulnerable groups of people including the elderly and child-headed households.
Economic analysts have condemned the introduction of subsidy on iron sheets and cement saying the country economy is already overburden with over $11 million that has been set aside to subsidize fertilizer and seeds.
Currently parliament is deliberating the $1.9 billion (Ksh167bn) 2014/15 National budget that is yet to be accepted.
