Malé, Maldives – Maldivian Democratic Party’s policy is to give a special incentive from the government to pay the rent of residential flats, former President and MDP President Mohamed Nasheed has said.
Speaking at an event held in Hulhumalé this evening as part of the MDP presidential primary campaign, Nasheed said the biggest problem faced by the people living in the Hiya flats is low income and high cost of goods.
The tax increase is causing prices to rise by 20 percent, he said, adding that low-income earners will not be able to afford it by the end of the month.
I think a special subsidy for housing should be done in an MDP government. It should be a policy to provide assistance to those who have difficulty paying their rent rather than lowering the rent to the extent that it becomes uncommercial.
Former President and Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed
Nasheed said a large number of housing units should be provided to the people within a short period of time.
It should be done under a non-debt policy of the state, he said, adding that a large number of flats should be established on a commercial basis at once. The government should provide assistance to low-income people to pay their rent, he added.
Nasheed stated that building the infrastructure is something that private parties have to do and when the government has to build a building, it takes 10 years to do it.
However, the land allocated to private individuals will be completed within a year or two and the role of the government should be to help low income people who find it difficult to pay the rent, he said.
