I WROTE a piece for the “Letters to the Editor” column of a local newspaper 40 years ago in which I pointed out how the municipality is charging 10 per cent of the tenants’ rent as ‘municipal fee’. At the same time, and in comparison, home owners were being charged a paltry one or two dinars.
The same rates are applicable even now but there are still no services given in return, at least to the tenant. For example, the tenant is not even given the customary garbage bags, let alone any other facility or service.
What I wish to know is how a government service ministry has not managed to amend such an unjust rule. Is it not a must for government agencies to review, update and develop their laws from time to time in order to provide the best to the people, at the same time working efficiently to improve services.
A friend who owns a residential building in the heart of Manama told me the area has no sewage network, no proper roads and no lighting, even though it is in a congested part of the capital. He said all building owners regularly call private cleaning companies to get rid of the waste and end up paying them a large amount to keep their area hygienic and clean.
The question here is everyone who stays in these buildings pays the 10pc service charge every month but, in return, let alone receiving garbage bags, they do not even get clean sewers, a proper road or even lighting. What is the municipality’s role and why is the monthly fee collected without any services being provided?
Over and above that, the ministry has now also imposed a huge infrastructure fee in exchange for providing the necessary services which include lighting and sanitation, besides making roads and other infrastructure.
And, again, what about shops in malls that pay a monthly service fee to the municipality but the mall management actually takes care of all that the municipality is supposed to do. Is the municipality only collecting fee. Are they not supposed to do anything else? How long will this continue?
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