A PROBE into the distribution of Bahrain’s social housing units could be launched by parliament.
The request has been scheduled for a vote by MPs on Tuesday.
It calls for a review of distribution criteria, construction cost calculations, the amounts that recipients pay, building designs and contracts signed with building contractors and suppliers.
An inquiry is being demanded by 10 MPs including Hamad Al Kooheji, who last month challenged Housing Minister Bassem Al Hamer to live in a social housing unit for a year.
Parliament has already voted to enforce a rule that all social housing units should measure at least 250 square metres, instead of the current 220sqm maximum.
The government says each house provided under the social housing scheme costs BD100,000, but that figure has been challenged by Mr Al Kooheji.
Meanwhile, parliament will also vote on launching another inquiry into the economic state of the country, demanded by 16 MPs.
It is based on claims about the closure of local businesses; cancellation of commercial registrations (CRs) by company owners; a rise in the number of dud cheques; an increase in the number of financial disputes in courts; visibly empty shops and apartments; and failing projects in the real estate sector.
That request is spearheaded by parliament’s financial and economic affairs committee chairman and Bahrain Parliamentary Bloc president MP Ahmed Al Salloom, who is also board member of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and chairman of the Bahrain Small and Medium Enterprises Development Society.
Stagnation
“The probe will focus on Bahrain’s economic and real estate stagnation and the weak flow of cash, which is already a known fact with a drop in all related indicators,” said Mr Al Salloom.
The GDN last month reported a drop in the number of Bahrainis and expatriates hired in the private and public sector in the second quarter of the year.
Statistics released by the LMRA showed a 1.1 per cent drop in expatriate employment and 3.6pc reduction in the recruitment of Bahrainis.
The LMRA also recorded a 5pc decrease in the number of new work permits issued.
Meanwhile, Manama has been ranked the fifth most expensive Arab city to live in, according to the Mercer’s Cost of Living Survey, and 11th in the world for high costs of living in the 2019 Expat Explorer survey conducted by HSBC.
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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