Politics
THE Ebonyi Executive Council has sent a bill to the State House of Assembly (EBHA) seeking to regulate the sale of metal and electrical scraps, house rents and agency fees in the state.
The approval, according to the government, is a follow-up to its earlier resolve to regulate the affected sectors and address practices considered detrimental to residents.
Briefing newsmen on the outcome of the Executive meeting on Tuesday in Abakaliki, Mr Ikeuwa Omabe, state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, said the proposed legislation also covered other matters connected with the regulation of the sectors.
Omabe recalled that the government had earlier resolved to curb the activities of house agents, whose operations, iit noted, had contributed to arbitrary increases in house rents, particularly in Abakaliki, the state capital.
“The executive bill, when passed into law by the House of Assembly, will provide a legal framework for regulating relationships between landlords and tenants, as well as the fees charged by house agents.
“Under the proposed law, it will be illegal for any house agent to charge a fee exceeding two per cent of the total rent payable by a tenant anywhere in the state.
“The measure was designed to ensure that only qualified and registered agents operate within the law while protecting residents from excessive and arbitrary charges imposed by some property agents.
“The legislation would help ease the financial burden on tenants and promote fairness and transparency in the state’s housing sector,” the commissioner said.
Omabe announced that the exco had ordered the termination of all uncompleted road projects before the close of work on Wednesday, July 22. (NAN)
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Tags: Agency fees bill Regulate House rents Scrap metal trade