Workers of the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) have called for an increase in rent paid by tenants of the Corporations’ rental units to reflect the present economic realities.
This follows the revelation that some tenants pay 4,000 cedis a month as rent. A worker, who expressed these sentiments at a durbar held in honour of the Minister of Works and Housing, Yaw Barimah, said the Corporation had faced interference from politicians any time it made the attempt to increase the rent.
The worker compared the rent charged to the price of a bottle of beer and urged the Corporation to take the initiative to increase the rent to enable it to stay in business.
Another worker expressed concern about the numerous land title cases pending before the courts and said if care was not taken all the Corporation's lands would be taken over by illegal claimants.
Notwithstanding the fact that compensation was paid during the government acquisition of the lands from the Nungua, Tema and Kpone stools in 1952, individuals have instituted legal action to claim portions of the land.
Mr Barimah, who was accompanied by a team of technical personnel from the Ministry, was paying his maiden-working visit to the TDC. He toured the Kpone Car Market and flood prone areas at Lashibi in Community 19 and Community 20.
Mr Barimah indicated that government was concerned about the housing needs of the people and was, therefore, sourcing funding to support medium and long-term projects.
He said TDC and Real Estate Development organisations would be the beneficiaries. Mr Barimah asked the TDC to act within the confines of the law to get used car dealers to move back to the Kpone Car Market.
He formed a committee and charged it to initiate action to solve the problem of flooding at Community 19, Community 20 and Lashibi.
