The Minister for Housing is adamant to clean up the issues that have tainted the National Housing Cooperation (NHC) over the years in order to have a robust and effective housing institution that can cater for the needs of all the people seeking good affordable housing and accommodation throughout the country.
The Minister and Member for Tewai- Siasi Open Dr. Kobby Bomareo, said the NHC has legacy issues which are aligned with allegations of corruption over the years, but the minister said a lot of things are now being done to fix the matters in house.
Minister Bomareo said this whilst responding to the questions from the Member for Abau Sir Puka Temu, who was basing his questions on a recent case where a family in Port Moresby was allegedly illegally forced out of their home of 40 years.
The minister said as part of the cleanup campaign in housing, he has instructed the review of the eviction process, which he said has been abused for a long time.
“Housing has a process of evicting tenants, when they identify that a tenant has not complied with housing regulations, a notice must be issued out first and then followed up on. If the tenant continues to defy the instructions, then officers move in to evict. Not the other way around where a straight on 24 hours eviction notice is given.”
“Don’t evict the tenants yet until we identify their issues before we move forward,” he said.
He also said that some officers in the NHC were removed because they stepped out of line when performing their duties.
“Some officers tend to go outside the line and in January, I had to remove five managers because of this reason I have to admit. Follow the law, if you don’t follow it then you are gone.”
The NHC’s past is tainted with corruption allegations and that does not settle well with the current government, which is way the minister said in his term in office, he will deliver the government’s aim to fix the problems and moving forward.
“The Marape/ Rosso government is focusing on how best it can provide affordable homes for people to live in. I believe that with the support of the government, that be achieved. We expect everyone to have a house because housing is a human right.”