The Housing Minister, Paul Ezekiel, has explained that tenants in Lae’s East Taraka who were given notices are only paying outstanding arrears owned tothe National Housing Corporation.
Mr. Ezekiel said whenthe home giveaway scheme was initiated;the national government didn’trsquo;t pay what was owed tothe corporation.In its bid to recover that money, tenants are being billed.
For years many believedthe outstanding bills had been settled bythe government.
From a series of enquiries made by EMTV Lae, it was found thatthe terms ofthe giveaway scheme remain unclear.
A previous Morobe Provincial Administration is also understood to have made commitments to pay outstanding bills ofthe tenants. Beththe provincial and national governments didn’trsquo;t honor those commitments.
Minister Ezekiel saidthe National Housing Corporation is recovering money owed to it bythe government. And this year after more than a decadethe task of paying those bills was shifted tothe tenants.
The NHC has also responded to ther cases issuing notices distancing itself from what it calls illegal evictions.
Scott Waide, National EMTV News
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