Government’s proposal to carry out a root and branch reform of the remaining pre-1995 tenancies is a responsible and courageous political move as through it this government is shouldering the shortcomings of all its predecessors which have ignored the matter over the years. This was stated by ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo when commenting on the proposal announced yesterday by Prime Minister Robert Abela and Minister for Social Housing Roderick Galdes. The Greens in Malta, added Carmel Cacopardo, have over the years actively campaigned on this specific issue and now that it will be addressed it is appropriate that we declare that we are satisfied that at long last what we have long campaigned for is to be addressed shortly.
The proposals put forward by Government are acceptable in principle. However, it is expected that when government publishes its detailed legislative proposals these are accompanied by the studies carried out which substantiate the proposals made. We await a healthy public debate which is adequately buttressed by well-researched background information.
From what has been stated so far, it is clear that the determination of rent will not be left completely to the whims of market forces as it will be capped at 2% of the property’s value. This will go some way to address the fallout created as a result of the complete liberalisation of the post-1995 rental market.
It is positive that the reform will ensure that no current tenant currently residing in properties subject to pre-1995 tenancies will end homeless. This will be so due to the fact that as a result of the proposed reform, through the taxes that we pay, the state will in most cases shoulder the revised rent due, or else the state will provide alternative accommodation.
The proposal will address an enormous social problem with a substantial financial outlay consisting of millions of Euros annually. These costs have to date been borne by the owners of the impacted 10,000 properties for countless generations. It is just and right that the whole community, through the state, now steps forward to shoulder the problem in a spirit of national solidarity with the most vulnerable amongst us.
It is with deep satisfaction that ADPD supports this proposal that at long last starts reasonably addressing equitably a social problem which has been practically ignored for over sixty years, concluded ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo.
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Riforma kuraġġuża
Ir-riforma proposta mill-Gvern għal-liġijiet li jirregolaw il-kirjiet ta’ qabel l-1995 hi waħda responsabbli u kuraġġuża għax biha il-Gvern qed jerfa’ direttament ir-responsabbiltà tan-nuqqasijiet tal-Gvernijiet dfferenti tul is-snin mit-tieni gwerra lil hawn. Dan qalu Carmel Cacopardo Chairperson ta’ ADPD huwa u jikkummenta dwar il-proposta mħabbra lbieraħ Mill-Prim Ministru Robert Abela u mill-Ministru għall-Akkomodazzjoni Soċjali Roderick Galdes. Alternattiva Demokratika għamlet snin twal tikkampanja propja fuq din il-materja u issa li qed tiġi indirizzata hu floku li nħarsu b’sodisfazzjoni li fl-aħħar qed tittieħed azzjoni li dejjem ħdimna favuriha, żied jgħid Cacopardo.
L-ideat bażiċi fil-proposta tal-Gvern huma tajbin fil-prinċipju. Nistennew li meta l-Gvern jippubblika l-proposti dettaljati fil-forma ta’ liġi dawn ikunu akkumpanjati mill-istudji li saru biex jissostanzjaw il-proposti li se jiġu ppreżentati. Nistennew dibattitu li jkun mgħejjun minn riċerka u studji, li huma essenzjali għal dibattitu matur.
Hu tajjeb, minn dak li ntqal s’issa dwar il-proposta, li l-ammont ta’ kera mhux ser jitħalla kompletament f’idejn is-suq u dan għax se jkun limitat sa 2% tal-valur tal-propjetà. Dan il-fatt jindirizza l-problemi kbar li nħolqu bil-liberalizzazzjoni kompleta tal-kirjiet post-1995.
Huwa tajjeb ukoll li se jkun assigurat ukoll li ħadd ma jispiċċa bla saqaf fuq rasu bħala riżultat tal-proposta u dan permezz tal-impenn li l-istat fil-parti l-kbira tal-każi ser jerfa’ l-piż – mit-taxxi li nħallsu aħna lkoll – biex titħallas il-kera reveduta, inkella biex tkun pprovduta akkomodazzjoni alternattiva.
Il-proposta kif imħabbra se tindirizza problema soċjali enormi li tħalliet tikber għal snin twal. Dan se tagħmlu bi spiża li se tinvolvi l-miljuni ta’ Ewro fis-sena. Sal-lum dan il-piż inġarr mis-sidien tal-madwar 10,000 propjetà effettwata u dan għamluh għal ġenerazzjoni wara l-oħra. Huwa ġust li l-komunità kollha permezz tal-istat issa tibda terfa’ l-piż u dan fi spirtu ta’ solidarjetà nazzjonali ma uħud fost l-iktar vulnerabbli fostna.
Hu b’sens qawwi ta’ sodisfazzjon li ADPD jappoġġa din il-proposta li fl-aħħar tibda tindirizza b’mod ekwu u li jagħmel sens problema li għal iktar minn sittin sena tħalliet tinġema’ u tkun injorata, ikkonkluda ic-Chairperson ta’ ADPD.
