Amid North Korea’s ongoing efforts to build more houses in rural areas to overcome regional housing imbalances, the South Hamgyong Province People’s Committee recently made arrangements with private contractors to repair dilapidated houses, Daily NK has learned.
“On July 6, the provincial people’s committee decided to focus on repairing aging houses in addition to building new ones to meet its residential construction quota for the second half of the year. The committee has also concluded work arrangements with private contractors,” a source in South Hamgyong Province told Daily NK last Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
Home repairs are typically carried out by the households themselves, so it is unusual for local government bodies to contract with individuals to perform repairs on run-down houses.
However, South Hamgyong Province has faced severe criticism for failing to achieve its residential construction goals in the first half of this year. Given difficulties in achieving goals for the second half of the year, local authorities are organizing a “residential environment improvement project” (that is, repairing run-down houses), which it will then present as progress toward its residential construction goals, the source explained.
Households encouraged to avoid buying materials at local markets
As a perk for families who ask contractors to repair their houses, the provincial people’s committee will sell construction materials for less than their market price, the source said.
“Families that commission home repairs to individuals contracted with the people’s committee will be able to purchase construction materials including cement, sand and lumber at half the market price from the province’s residential construction oversight board.”
In effect, the province sees this as a chance to fill two needs with one deed — making a profit selling government materials while also repairing homes that can then be listed as progress toward meeting the province’s residential construction goals.
“The provincial people’s committee is telling families who need to repair their run-down houses during the monsoon season that instead of buying building materials at the markets, which would only enrich individual vendors, they should buy them for a cheaper price from the government, which benefits both the state and themselves,” the source said.
Daily NK also understands that the idea of hiring private contractors to repair dilapidated homes is gaining traction in South Pyongan Province and the city of Rason.
Rason’s work contracts stipulate that private contractors can be called in to work at the city’s residential construction sites if the need arises. Those contracts are being praised for supporting the residential construction goals while also helping to ensure good-quality construction work.
Translated by David Carruth. Edited by Robert Lauler.
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