Govt promises to help NHC lower prices of houses

NHC: The current National Housing Corporation is the outcome of the decision of the government to dissolve the Register of building (RoB) through an Act of Parliament No.2 of 1990, which vested its responsibilities with the NHC. The former NHC was established by an Act of Parliament No.45 of 1962, while RoB was established by Act No.13 of 1971. NHC is under the ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development. The ministry is represented by the Board of Directors 

By George Sembony,The Citizen Correspondent

In Summary

• The pledge was made by the PS in the ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Mr Alphayo Kidata, when he opened the NHC General Workers Council in Tanga

Tanga. The government is working on solutions to various challenges facing the housing sector to increase its contribution to the economy.

The pledge was made in Tanga over the weekend by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Lands, Housing and Settlements Development, Mr Alphayo Kidata, when he opened the NHC General Workers Council in Tanga.

Mr Kidata, who was mentioned earlier by NHC director general, Nehemiah Mchechu, as having contributed to the corporation’s development, listed the challenges as the high cost of building materials and availability of affordable housing loans that would enable many people to own the houses being built by the corporation.

 He said the government was in the process of improving the Housing Policy and various legislations to enable the sector to increase its contribution to the national income.

Mr Kidata commended NHC for reviving the construction of low cost housing schemes which were initiated by Mwalimu Nyerere, but added that the corporation as experts in the construction and provision of low cost housing scheme should advise the government on how best the government could enable the people to own those houses as one of the strategies to reduce poverty.

He said: “It is a relief to note that the construction of low cost houses has reached 19 regions and is expected to reach all of them by the end of December, this year,” calling on the corporation to increase the pace of constructing the structures.

The PS urged the NHC to increase the pace of constructing the houses but emphasised on the directive issued by President Jakaya Kikwete to all local government authorities to avail plots for construction  of the houses without having to pay large sums of money as compensation, for that would reduce the cost of constructing the houses.

He commended Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) for extending the supply of power to areas where the houses were built. Kidata promised that the government would continue to encourage other institutions to extend services to those newly built sites to attract people to own the houses.

Meanwhile, the director general pledged to continue building its internal financial capacity to enable the company to secure loans for development of various projects.

He said that improvement of its internal financial capacity has enabled it to secure $1.5 billion recently from China for implementation of various projects

The projects according to Mr Mchechu include construction of Salama Creek Satellite City, at Uvumba area in Temeke District which will use $1 billion, while $500 million would be used for construction of Financial Square at Upanga.

He further said that the NHC has acquired $200 million   from Poly Technologies for construction of Valhalla in Masaki, Dar es Salaam.