Burden of responsibility

We learned from Professor Mario Vassallo (The Sunday Times, July 17) that only one per cent of the population pays rent at 1939 rates, say 3,000 to 4,000 people. The second most vile of the rent laws, after inheritance of tenancy, is the capping of...

We learned from Professor Mario Vassallo (The Sunday Times, July 17) that only one per cent of the population pays rent at 1939 rates, say 3,000 to 4,000 people. The second most vile of the rent laws, after inheritance of tenancy, is the capping of rents at 1939 levels. Yet Theodore Sammut (The Sunday Times, July 24) asks: "what about the many (sic) who cannot afford to pay higher rents?"

I will not ask why their accommodation is "mostly shabby houses", but why put the onus on AD to protect them? The injustice Mr Sammut is disregarding lies in the mentality that the owner has any responsibility in this respect.

It is time Government shouldered its responsibility and removed the burden from the shoulders of the owner. After all there are only 3,000 or 4,000 such persons and Government is already subsidising some rents - the burden cannot be great.

Not all the 3,000 or 4,000 will need assistance as some may be rich people who can afford to pay more, so the burden would be even less.

Take courage, Dr Gonzi.

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