Protests over price hike in housing scheme

State blames low-ranked employees of the public sector, who invested in the houses, for the situation

Low-ranking public sector employees in Nyala, South Darfur protested on Thursday against a price hike in their housing scheme.The price hike in the affordable housing scheme for low income employees of the state was implemented by the Housing and Rehabilitation Fund of Nyala. The employees refused to recognize the new buildings as a protest against the price hike.

The price of every house went up by about 40 per cent of the previously agreed upon value. Each buyer had deposited a 10 per cent advance in the bank on the basis of the previous rates.

The state legislature of South Darfur interfered in the case by calling to discuss the reasons for the imbalance which had resulted in the current situation.

Mohammed Al Ajip Ismail, the head of the legal committee of the state, in turn blamed trade union for the crisis. He said, “The employees have brought about the imbalance. Their salaries won’t allow them to fulfill the loan requirements for this project. The people handing out the forms should have known this.”