NHE suggests levy to deal with housing shortage

A TOP housing official has called on Government to introduce a housing provision levy of N$50 per employee and employer to deal with the challenges Namibia faces in the housing delivery sector by the year 2030.

Speaking at the inauguration of the NHE regional offices at the southern capital of Keetmanshoop last week Thursday, Namibia Housing Enterprises (NHE) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mike Kavekotora, said this would generate N$500 million to counter an expected housing shortage of 300 000 units by the year 2030. “With such input and the right attitude, we could halve the housing backlog by the year 2003,” Kavekotora said.Such funds could contribute to the construction of 12 000 units a year for the remaining 26 years at a cost of N$1,1 billion a year or N$ 30 billion in total, excluding escalation and inflationary adjustments, he said.Kavekotora said these figures were based on an estimated cost per unit of N$100 000, which includes erf establishment costs.Speaking at a gala dinner that formed part of the inauguration ceremony,.Regional Councillor Frans Basson criticised the tendency of some parastatals to focus on salaries and other employee benefits before taking of care of housing, “I trust that this is not the way in which the NHE does business,” Basson said, appealing to the NHE to keep housing costs as low as possible.He stressed the importance of informing the political leadership of NHE operations and vowed that the NHE’s functions would not and could not be “usurped” by virtue of doing so.Basson also suggested that the institution’s regional management liaise closely with the regional political leadership in view of the ongoing decentralisation process.The NHE Regional office serves the people of the country’s two southern regions – Hardap and Karas.”With such input and the right attitude, we could halve the housing backlog by the year 2003,” Kavekotora said.Such funds could contribute to the construction of 12 000 units a year for the remaining 26 years at a cost of N$1,1 billion a year or N$ 30 billion in total, excluding escalation and inflationary adjustments, he said.Kavekotora said these figures were based on an estimated cost per unit of N$100 000, which includes erf establishment costs.Speaking at a gala dinner that formed part of the inauguration ceremony,.Regional Councillor Frans Basson criticised the tendency of some parastatals to focus on salaries and other employee benefits before taking of care of housing, “I trust that this is not the way in which the NHE does business,” Basson said, appealing to the NHE to keep housing costs as low as possible.He stressed the importance of informing the political leadership of NHE operations and vowed that the NHE’s functions would not and could not be “usurped” by virtue of doing so.Basson also suggested that the institution’s regional management liaise closely with the regional political leadership in view of the ongoing decentralisation process.The NHE Regional office serves the people of the country’s two southern regions – Hardap and Karas.