NewsWhore
02-26-2010, 03:10 PM
The Housing Promoters and Builders Association (ACOPROVI) and workers unions say that they were in favor of using pension fund monies for low-cost and middle class housing. Nonetheless, in order for them to promote the construction of housing for the middle and poorer classes they need not only the pension funds but also the elimination of obstacles and difficulties among the state institutions.
Jose Rodriguez Caceres, the founder of ACOPROVI, said that there has been no joint action by the state authorities to resolve the housing problem with the plan to assign pension fund money for use in housing developments. In his judgment, this proposal to assign RD$90 billion of the pension fund money for housing is no more than a plan to regulate and promote financial operations.
He said that he believed that in order to provide incentives for low-cost housing, central government, municipal governments, legislators and the Supreme Court needed to intervene, because if they don't, the obstacles will be all the greater. He said that titles (property) depended on the Supreme Court, and the legislative part is necessary because changes are needed in several laws that are obstacles for the production of housing, while the municipalities are those that grant approvals for construction plans, and if the obstacles are not eliminated, the pension fund money won't be able to do anything.
Rodriguez Caceres believes that it is not an arbitrary stance to say that the pension fund money should not go into housing if there is no financial security to recover the money invested.
CNUS union leader Rafael "Pepe" Abreu said he would support the idea as long as there were guarantees that there would be no favoritism and only those affiliated with the Social Security System would benefit from the housing. Vice President Rafael Alburquerque said that all sectors are in agreement with the initiative, but Abreu stressed that union members should take part in discussions about the proposal, as agreed during the Summit of National Unity, that all the sectors should be able to express their opinions about any modifications in the Social Security programs. "We do not want to leave an opening for the poor use (of the funds)", he said, and added that if the legislation is approved in Congress, the CNUS will be vigilant in order to ensure that they do not put in a clause that will allow for the refinancing of failed housing projects.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)
Jose Rodriguez Caceres, the founder of ACOPROVI, said that there has been no joint action by the state authorities to resolve the housing problem with the plan to assign pension fund money for use in housing developments. In his judgment, this proposal to assign RD$90 billion of the pension fund money for housing is no more than a plan to regulate and promote financial operations.
He said that he believed that in order to provide incentives for low-cost housing, central government, municipal governments, legislators and the Supreme Court needed to intervene, because if they don't, the obstacles will be all the greater. He said that titles (property) depended on the Supreme Court, and the legislative part is necessary because changes are needed in several laws that are obstacles for the production of housing, while the municipalities are those that grant approvals for construction plans, and if the obstacles are not eliminated, the pension fund money won't be able to do anything.
Rodriguez Caceres believes that it is not an arbitrary stance to say that the pension fund money should not go into housing if there is no financial security to recover the money invested.
CNUS union leader Rafael "Pepe" Abreu said he would support the idea as long as there were guarantees that there would be no favoritism and only those affiliated with the Social Security System would benefit from the housing. Vice President Rafael Alburquerque said that all sectors are in agreement with the initiative, but Abreu stressed that union members should take part in discussions about the proposal, as agreed during the Summit of National Unity, that all the sectors should be able to express their opinions about any modifications in the Social Security programs. "We do not want to leave an opening for the poor use (of the funds)", he said, and added that if the legislation is approved in Congress, the CNUS will be vigilant in order to ensure that they do not put in a clause that will allow for the refinancing of failed housing projects.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)