MaritaShine

Privatization is the engine that fuels growth and faster developments. When considering the massive developments in Apartments Ernakulam district is way ahead of the other districts mainly due to the effort taken by the leading private builders. To involve the private sector more in housing development the following aspects are highly essential:

1. Unlike as in foreign countries, the concept of building societies and mortgage banks is not available in our country. The present house financing institutions have very small capital base and are not in a position to meet the financial requirements of the prospective house purchasers. The apex National Housing Bank will mostly refinance housing banks, co-operative banks, and house financing institutions.
2. Institutional finance for the builders and developers is hardly available. It is high time that commercial banks and other financial institutions lend some percentage of their total lendable surpluses for housing and urban development.
3. A number of fiscal incentives have been used very imaginatively in various countries to promote investment in housing. Such fiscal measures can prove to be effective tools and should be utilized in our country.
4. A large number of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) are willing to finance construction of houses and other urban development activities. However, their investment in the housing sector is not treated by the government at par with their investment in industries, e.g., when an investment made by Non-Residents (NRIs) in to an industry starts making profits, they are permitted to repatriate their profits and also the initial investment made, whereas when NRIs invest in housing sector, they are not allowed to repatriate neither the profits or the original investment. Therefore efforts should be made to speed up the inflow of foreign funds for housing activities.