There Must Be Public Education On Rental Charges - Peter Otukonor

A member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communication's team, Peter Otukonor, says there must be public education on the rental charges in the nation. He said the perennial rent issues bedeviling the economy can be resolved when landholders and tenants are educated on the Rent Act. He stated that it would not be beneficial to landholders to charge tenants rent in advance because to him, the landlords and landladies do not gain when they demand an advanced payment of rent. He said in an interview with Radio Gold that �it is not even economically advisable to collect two years rent advance. I�m sure any rational landlord will not collect a two-year advance.� Though he agreed to the notion the reformation should start with Parliamentarians so as to send a better signal to landowners in the country, he held a view that when the Members of Parliament do not pay rent in advance, the country will be on the losing side unlike landholders who will rather benefit should they charge per month. �Parliament is not a landlord. Parliament is given some kind of accommodation to their people. And Parliament is paying the rent of their people. If government or Parliament pays two years advance for the Parliamentarians, what government and Parliament is doing is that they are saving money.� He therefore called on the rent authorities to �take time to educate landlords, to educate the people about the financial system and how many money operates, and how the money market operates; I�m sure the rational landlord would want to go for the short term collection of rent.�