News

Rent freeze to stay in place

July 12, 2016 6:22 pm

Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says the issue of low income housing must be looked into before lifting of the rent freeze can be considered.

Sayed-Khaiyum was replying to questions raised by the owner of Halabe Investments – Mark Halabe who says the current rental freeze is affecting them.

He says there is a demand for rental housing in Suva with the growth in the expatriate community and people in the high income bracket, however, he says the first need is housing for low income earners.

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“With the rental market there needs to be a distinction made. The trick for us is to ensure that we are able to make that demarcation properly and where is the cut off point, because the reality also is that there is a shortage of homes and the lower end of the socio economic scale too.”

The rent freeze has been in place for the past nine years.