Price Ceilings

**juikk** · 15th June 2009, 04:36 PM

Hi Shebeeners!!! Long time no chatting from my side. I was just thinking if it will be useful to deliberate which industries/Markets in Namibia might be in dire need for Price Ceillings from the Nam GRN.

I am thinking the property Market should be the first and foremost target. Housing prices are really more than super inflated though one hardly sees the value of a million dollars on some houses. What do the rest of you think?

Let's discuss!!!

**BasterX** · 15th June 2009, 09:38 PM

YEAH 100% with you

**mindfactory** · 18th June 2009, 08:45 AM

To busy watching how Namibia mature crime wise. Just wait for the army (NDF) to be called in. Print money like Bob Mugabe, his shops are loaded, and people can hardly catch up to empty the shelves of the shops.

Now is that not good life?

**juikk** · 19th June 2009, 05:45 PM

hmmm, bleak answer dear, we looong way off the likes of Zim, just need a firm public voice on a variety of new challenging sounding bills(eg new communication bill), and we are good, else we need ALL economists of this country to sit up and stir up a public debate around important issues

.Mie, where you @? I believe you can provide a sound economic opinion on issues brought up in here?

**Mie1** · 21st June 2009, 06:33 PM

Juikk,

Yes, prices have mushroomed out of proportion. Putting or even legislating "price ceilings" would be crass interference with the free-market principles we have subscribed to.

Like in so many other instances it is pure greed that drives prices upwards. Until recently it was: " I will take what I can get away with" !

Now that the economic and bank brakes are on, prices (especially for housing) will come down to more realistic levels .... but never down to where we would want them!!!It remains a question of supply and demand and as long as the demand outstrips the supply, prices will tend to be as high as the market will bear!

There just is nor easy, magical solution.........

**juikk** · 15th July 2009, 10:34 AM

Thanks there Mie1!!
Talking about Demand, there is another driving force behind the unrealistically high pricing for houses, especially the rentals, the ANGOLANS!!!! buying with cash/US dollars, with which most average Namibian cannot compete. Saw adverts that rediculously stated renting of 1 bedrom, note, not one bedrom flat or house, but a room at someones house in katutura going for exhorbitant pricing like N$1300.00 to N$1800.00, co habiting in the same house with the 'landlord'.....

meanwhile salary hikes are a distant memmory of the past for the Namibians, more like ancient history, with prices for any thinkable commodity sky rocketing, surely the GRN, while failing to generate jobs for all, can at least start a gradual introduction of ceilings in housing prices to protect the native Namibian from the exploitative pricing?

**Mie1** · 15th July 2009, 04:10 PM

juikk,

I'll have to think about that one ........

**Andrew1** · 16th July 2009, 09:21 PM

so if there is shortage of propertie to rent and buy where are developers? here is opportunity or what? there is land so where is developments? if i was a millionair maybe i would develop affordable units for rent to everyone

**juikk** · 14th September 2009, 09:44 AM

I think the banks can start with a affirmative action , facillitating no deposit purchases for property (since property is fixed asset and they can always re-posess), which at least will allow those who are busy enriching the already rich with rentals to own property or at least have a chocie to own. Am sure even the bond payments will be much less than the current rental prices we are faced with in this country.

Until such time, let's enrich those few already rich people I guess....