House prices out of control

Fiji Club New Zealand (FCNZ)

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

The biggest concern and worry is the rocketing house prices that is out of control due to lack of foresight and vision, and lethargy by the Auckland City Council, politicians and their cahoots, said President Mr. Alton Atticus Shameem of Fiji Club New Zealand (FCNZ).

“Heaps of people in lower and middle income including our Fijian community find it extremely difficult to purchase their first home because of competition from wealthy foreign buyers who can borrow at 1% to 2% interest rate. There is no way our fellow New Zealanders and Fijians can compete with such a lower interest rate,” said Mr. Shameem.

“They are struggling to put a roof over their head and put food on the table bearing in the high cost of living expenses. Heaps of young working Fijians are living with their parents as they can’t afford to purchase a house of their own. They like to move out but can’t and this result in stress, tension, social problems; and at times the breakup of families.

“The complacent government is tap-dancing instead of finding solutions to the serious housing crises staring right in our eyes like a hungry tiger, and yet the government and the politicians are blind as a bat; passing the buck to the Reserve Bank instead of showing leadership and vision.

“We have elected the politicians not the Governor of the Reserve Bank to find solutions to the serious housing crises facing us all, the young, the middle age, the old and the future generation,” said Alton Atticus Shameem.

“The Auckland lethal housing crisis is like Rome is burning and the emperor is sleeping away in his palace.

“The solution to the rocketing housing price is to increase the supply of housing stock by the government by building houses on the rent to own basis.

“The government should make it easier for Fijians with trade skills to enter New Zealand as there is shortage of trade people.

“It is time for the government to deregulate the law industry and abolish the monopoly held by the NZ Law Society as most people cannot afford the high fees charged by attorneys.

“The government should set up a statutory body to manage the Kiwi Saver scheme like the Canadian Pension Fund instead of heaps of other companies fiddling with it.

“The government should move some government departments and agencies in the “ghost towns” in Northland like Kerikeri to facilitate economic growth and social development.

“The government should also engage with businesses to set-up ventures in the Northland to create jobs for the people so that instead of “ghost towns” it is turned into economic towns.

“Northland is a grossly neglected area by the government and is treated like a pariah,” said Alton Atticus Shameem president of Fiji Club New Zealand.

Ends.

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