Ebrima Tabora Manneh, an aspiring presidential candidate who doubles as the finance controller of Petro Gas company limited, has blamed the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporations (SSHFC) for not fulfilling its mandate to the Gambian people.

Speaking to the daily news, Mr Manneh said the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporations (SSHFC) has totally failed The Gambian citizens. He said the amount of money that is given to pensioners is not enough to sustain their household needs.

“If I become president, I will introduce a social safety net that pensioners will rely on as a source of income after their retirement,” Ebrima Tabora Manneh said. “The pension funds that are available at social security are too small.”

He added that the cost of a land which is built by social security is too expensive and is not affordable by the average Gambians.

In his views, the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporations (SSHFC) should have stabilized the housing market by building low cost houses and give priority to low income earners who are working with the government.

He stressed that social security is selling empty land about D300,000 to 600,000 and sometimes even a million which many Gambians cannot afford. Mr Manneh believes that the Social Security should build cheap houses which should not exceed 500,000 dalasi and give it to those who don’t have the means to make an outright purchase.

He suggested that lands should be given as loan to pensioners which can be payable for 10-20 years or more. He said it is what exists in other countries and it can be done here as well.

Mr Manneh stated that if they (SSHFC ) play their cards right, the housing market will be stabilized which will lead to the reduction in high cost of housing to allow the average Gambians to afford the lands.

“My government will heavily involve the social security and other sectors in the housing market. We will make sure that lands that are owned by the government or lands that can be acquired are built and given to those who deserve it the most. We will build houses with prices not more than half of a million dalasi and they will be payable over 10-30 years.”

He said this will ease the burden of the housing issues in the country. We will make sure the amount of money that people are paying for houses is really down.”

 

By Dawda Baldeh