The phenomenon of turning private housing into investment has become widespread in various governorates, according to informed sources in the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy. This is done by adding a floor or dividing the floors into apartments or rooms, and the electricity and services are illegally delivered to these homes. The sources pointed out that this phenomenon is exploiting the government’s support for private housing, especially in electricity and water tariffs, which are estimated at 5 fils per segment up to 3,000 kilowatts.
Furthermore, the spread of the phenomenon was attributed to the weakness of periodic control by the concerned authorities, while stressing that the continuation of these violations has become a great load on the electrical network, especially with the high summer temperatures and high loads. The sources also stated that the ministry cannot violate these properties and that judicial officers can only enter them through the approval of the prosecution. They called for the tightening of penalties for these infringements on various state services, whether water, electricity, or sewage.
One of the areas in question is Block 12 in Salmiya, wherein the property owner obtains approval for the demolition and reconstruction of the house, and when electricity is connected, the owner then converts it into apartments, which constitutes a clear violation of the laws regulating those areas, Al Jarida reported.