As a way of preparing for the resumption of business after the Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown, Crane Management Services (CMS) has issued Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) to all tenants occupying their buildings around Kampala.
Detailing the SoPs on Friday, June 26th, 2020 in Kampala, CMS Managing Director, Rajiv Ruparelia said that his company had deployed automatic handwash stations that will be placed at the entrances to every building.
“The soap dispensers come with automatic sensors, while the water dispensers will be operated by foot to limit hand contact,” Rajiv said, adding: “We will limit the number of entrances and exits to the buildings to ensure that we closely monitor adherence to all the SoPs. All people/customers entering, must wash their hands, wear a face mask and have their temperatures measured.”
“We are deploying extra security personnel to enforce these measures but also to limit the number of people accessing per building at a time,” Rajiv further said.
He also noted that they will work hand in hand with the tenants to ensure that all the measures are observed religiously as it was in the interests of both the landlords and tenants to start opening up the buildings so that businesses can resume operating.
How Ecobank is Betting on Inclusive, Tech-Powered Learning in Uganda“COVID-19 is not going to disappear soon. So the major question is how do we operate safely and enable businesses and livelihoods to resume and stabilise so that business owners can start supporting their families again. Businesses have been closed for the last four months and they have no other source of income, which is going to create a bigger threat to us and the economy at large,” Rajiv said.
Rajiv further appealed to the government to consider tax waivers for the real estate sector to enable landlords to transfer the same benefits to tenants.
“We are one big family. A building is useless without tenants. However, tenants can’t operate without a building. So we are like a marriage and this marriage is very intimate. While we are willing to support our tenants on rent waivers, government has to intervene, such that in case landlords waive rent arrears, the Uganda Revenue Authority and utility providers should also give landlords a reprieve,” he said.
“Unfortunately, the government has not given any waivers to this industry. If you look at it, URA has only deferred their payments. They have not said that this year we are going to give special considerations to write off taxes for real estate companies. Even NSSF has not allowed us to reduce our liabilities. All they are saying is that if you were going to pay in March, pay in August instead. Even the banks have just postponed the repayment of loans. So while the landlords are expected to pay taxes, NSSF, and loans, the government is asking us to write off rent arrears. We cannot tell the banks to forgive us because we have forgiven the tenants. The situation is that complex,” he said.
