NHC in titles conflict

 By JEFFREY ELAPA

THE National Housing Corporation cannot grant housing titles to tenants who bought government houses under the various housing scheme of past governments, Parliament was told yesterday. 

Housing Minister Paul Ezekiel said in response to a question from Milne Bay Governor Titus Philemon that there were two types of government housing schemes – “giveaway” and institutional housing schemes.

He said payments made by tenants through the housing schemes had not reached the National Housing Corporation, forcing the NHC to hold back the granting of titles to these tenants.

Ezekiel said more than K36 million in salary deductions for public service housing tenants were wrongly paid to the Department of Finance which parked the funds in a trust account.

“We will process the transfer of titles when that money comes to NHC,” he said.

The minister said another K16 million was still outstanding for the giveaway housing scheme.

“Unless they pay up, we will not issue titles,” he said.

Ezekiel said the National Housing Corporation wanted to build more houses but needed undeveloped land to be provided by the Lands Department.