The parliament's Housing Committee will discuss a report issued by the Accountability State Authority (ASA) regarding land issues next week, according to Mohammed Abdel Ghani, a member of the committee. Abdel Ghani told Daily News Egypt that the committee is also discussing a unified construction law with five entities, namely the Ministry of Housing, the Administrative Control Authority (ACA), the Engineering Syndicate, the Ministry of Local Development, and the Egyptian Contractors Union. Abdel Ghani added that the committee is working on a proposal to strictly penalise property owners who violate licences and regulations.The proposal stipulates that violations would see the owner deprived of certain benefits, and that facilities and utilities would be sold to the owner at a higher price than to licensed units. He noted that the committee is working on applying a higher utilities tariff on the clients of violating buildings, and will expand their control mechanisms.
"The committee is seeking to apply this through two mechanisms: the first is to facilitate licensing procedures and eliminate obstacles to obtaining licences. The second is the implementation of harsher penalties on violators through either prison or fines," said Abdel Ghani. He revealed that the discussion of the unified construction law will be concluded before the end of the legislative term.
Abdel Ghani pointed out that commercial units and shops will witness an increase in rent prices immediately after applying the law's amendments, in reference to the old rent law, which had caused ongoing debates in Egypt. Law 49/1977 freezes the rental value and enforces the renewal of the contract between the tenant and the landlord, sometimes passing the apartment down through generations.
Vacant rented apartments that still fall under the old rent law will be given back to the owner, while inhabitants of apartments that fall under the same law will be subjected to a gradual increase in rent prices and be given an opportunity to find alternative housing units.
