Around 90 per cent of Bahraini families pay less than BD160 as monthly instalment for social housing, it was revealed.

Housing Minister Bassem Al Hamer told MPs during their weekly session yesterday (Nov 26) that the instalment to Eskan Bank was over a 300 month period, with 25pc paying between zero and BD40.

The minister also said that around 1,100 families were paying less than BD200.

He was commenting on his written response to a question by MP Hamad Al Kooheji on the cost of housing services.

Mr Al Kooheji has been urging the public to take the ministry to court over what he claims were terms in the contracts that doubles the interest rate.

“Bahrain has been a leader in providing government housing services for the last 57 years, from 1962, even before it became an obligation as a law in the 1970s,” said Mr Al Hamer.

“We, in the government, shoulder the larger cost that includes the plot of land and services and the interest.

“Regarding individual cases there is no need to encourage people to go to court, we will assess them ourselves and I assure fairness.

“But, the MP has to stop the unpleasant and unacceptable inciting language or degrading all the efforts and work we do or have done over the years.

“If MPs are not happy with the housing rules they are free to change them – they are the legislators, not us.

“The instalments we take monthly are low and they are less than BD160 for 90pc on Eskan Bank’s list.

“Twenty five per cent of them pay zero to BD40 dinars, besides there are around 1,100 families paying less than BD200.”

However, Mr Al Kooheji insisted there were faults within the contracts, adding that the compounded interest intended for infrastructure services and maintenance was not being allocated properly.

“Everyone knows that (the reasoning behind the interest) is not true, as in the case of apartment buildings in Salmabad and Tubli that are without maintenance and are in a derelict state due to leakages and cracks,” he said.

“A woman lost her apartment in Busaiteen and for eight months is still waiting for it to be fixed.

“Let’s also talk in general, if it rains the homes get flooded, so don’t speak about that money being used as intended.

“The contracts are with the ministry and the money goes to the bank, which doesn’t use it for maintenance.”

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