Govt rules out relieving tenants of rental obligations
Government has ruled out the possibility of relieving tenants of rental obligations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finance Minister Bwalya Ng'andu says he already has a huge salary burden of paying Civil Servants, and therefore it is unfair for those calling on government to consider paying rentals for citizens owing to the economic challenges the country is facing. Dr Ng’andu notes that most of the Landlords whether residential or commercial built or acquired their assets using loans which they have to service. He adds that it is not possible for government to start paying salaries to people because they have lost their businesses due to the outbreak of Covid 19. Dr Ng’andu has since urged Zambians to start thinking about practical solutions that will work and be implemented by the Ministry.