NHC gets 6bn/- from rent ‘shy’ public entities

THE National Housing Corporation (NHC) has collected almost 6bn/- from rent defaulters in public institutions, barely two months after President John Magufuli directed that the 9.4bn/- debt be cleared or defaulters evicted.

The money, according to the Director of Regional Operations and Administration, Mr Raymond Mndolwa, will fund the construction of 300 residential houses in Dodoma in support of the government’s quest to relocate from Dar es Salaam to the designated capital of Dodoma.

In September, Dr Magufuli issued a seven-day ultimatum to all public institutions, departments and ministries to clear their outstanding debts or face eviction.

The president ordered the NHC Director General, Mr Nehemiah Mchechu, to strictly enforce the deadline and refrain from showing leniency to tenants from certain state-owned companies as well as private individuals or companies.

“Whether they are from the private or public sector, all tenants must pay their debts within seven days otherwise they will be kicked out of their premises and their properties forfeited for auction to recover the debts,” he said when addressing former residents of old NHC quarters in Dar es Salaam’s Magomeni suburb.

Addressing a news conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Mr Mndolwa said as of September 2016, NHC’s outstanding debt in the public institutions stood at 9.3bn/-, while individual and private companies were yet to clear 2.6bn/-.

He said as of yesterday, NHC had collected 5.98bn/- from public institutions, departments and ministries, expressing optimism that by the end of this month, the housing firm expects that all debts would have been collected.

“However, I want to state clearly that only a few public institutions and departments that are renting in our houses,’’ Mr Mndolwa clarified. He said NHC had decided that all the money collected from debts be disbursed for construction of 300 residential houses in Dodoma at Lyumbu area next to the University of Dodoma’s administration block Mr Mndolwa further raised a red flag against individuals and private companies that are yet to clear their outstanding debts to do so immediately before they face eviction.

As of September, NHC said individuals and private companies were yet to clear 2.6bn/-.

They were also given seven days by Dr Magufuli to clear their debts or face eviction.

“There are those who have failed to clear their debts…we want to inform all tenants who are yet to pay their rents that already we have launched an operation to kick them out of the houses,’’ he noted.

According to Mr Mndolwa, all tenants who are yet to pay their debts had already been served with eviction notices that require them to clear their outstanding debts before being evicted.

Source: Daily News