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Dr. Gianni Brizzi is the World Bank Resident Representative in Yemen. He has been working at the World Bank for over 24 years, during which time he has occupied many different posts preparing and supervising projects in different sectors. These include urban infrastructure, transport, water supply and sanitation, industry and finance, and tourism development. Dr. Brizzi worked in Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Latin America and some Caribbean countries such as Jamaica.
During the last 4 years, he was initially project advisor for the Middle East, reviewing the majority of projects implemented there. Then he became senior operations advisor of the entire region of the Middle East and North Africa.
He has recently commenced his duties in Yemen.

Ismail Al-Ghabiry of the Yemen Times talked to Dr. Brizzi and filed the following interview:

Q: What are the responsibilities of the World Bank Resident Mission in Yemen?
A: The World Bank Resident Mission has been in the country now for three years, operating quite effectively with a lot of success. We have established a very strong relationship with the country at all levels. Before opening the Resident Mission, project management and supervision were carried out mainly byWorld Bank staff coming from Washington. Now this responsibility is being moved entirely to Sana'a. I myself will coordinate these activities. We will still have people coming from Washington to deal with a lot of specialized inputs, but the day-to-day activities will be mainly done by the Resident Mission.

Q: How familiar are you with the situation in Yemen?
A: I am relatively familiar with what is going on in Yemen since I was Senior Operations Advisor for the entire region. I used to review and analyze all the operations made by my colleagues for Yemen. In addition, I also had the chance of coming to Yemen three years ago, leading what we call a Country Implementation Review. On that occasion I spent two weeks meeting Yemeni officials concerned with World Bank projects. We discussed the issue of implementing the investment program financed by the International Development Association. Obviously there is a lot work that I have to do to become fully familiar with the country. I intend to accomplish these objectives in the shortest possible time.

Q: What are the World Bank programs that will be implemented in Yemen during your term here?
A: We have a program which is generally based on a three year rolling plan. The present three- year program involves credits for an amount of approximately $240-450 million. Right now we are preparing, in association with Government and other national and international stakeholders, a new Country Assistance Strategy. This new strategy will define the World Bank's basic program for the next three years. This will include technical advice and financial assistance. I hope that we will be able to transfer at least the same amount of money which we transferred during the last three years. Last week, Mr. Inder Sud, the World Bank Middle East Director, had fruitful discussions with the Government on the program that we will have for this coming fiscal year. This program is based very much on the immediate needs of the country, both in terms of budgetary support, required by the declining oil prices, and in terms of creating new job opportunities for the poor. As announced by Mr. Sud in a press conference, the budgetary support will be provided through an operation designed to support the modernization of the public administration. It will help the Government reform the civil service, improve the budgetary and financial management processes and rationalize public investment expenditure.

Q: What measures will be taken to help the poor cope with the transient burden of reform?
A: We are currently operating through two key instruments - the Social Development Fund and the Public Works Project. The Social Development Fund is doing quite well, and the Public Works Project is moving faster than we expected. We are discussing with the Government the possibility of initiating a new community development operation, in which we will provide basic services to poor people in all parts of the country. These basic services will include the improvement of community infrastructures and the construction of health centers, schools, etc., through labor-intensive construction activities. The jobs created will provide income for the population. We believe this is very important. People are suffering because of the adjustment program and they need to see some positive results. We need to support this transitional phase until the private sector kicks off and creates jobs. We are also working on a Child Development Project in association with UNICEF. Also this project will help alleviate the difficulties of the poor. Other projects, such as an emergency operation to improve the power supply in Sanaa, has already been negotiated and will be soon implemented.

Q: Will there be a role for NGOs to play in the economic and social adjustment process?
A: The World Bank wants to have a strong partnerships with Non-Governmental Organizations in the development process. We are providing some assistance for the development of legislation regulating NGO activities. Some of the projects that we are sponsoring, like the Social Development Fund and Public Works projects, require service activities which cannot be provided by conventional contractors or consulting firms. They are better provided by NGOs. So the idea is to work closely with NGOs in order to achieve this common result and also to re-enforce the NGO system which exists in the country. We need more time in order to understand exactly what the situation is, and how we can best address the contribution of the World Bank to the rationalization and strengthening of the NGO movement in Yemen.

Q: What obstacles impede the implementation of the World Bank policies in Yemen?
A: The major challenges that the Government faces now is the development of a public administration; that is service oriented, efficient and responsive to the needs of the citizens. Service orientation is the key to a successful public administration. This is a big challenge.
It is also a challenge to look at how the administration should be organized and structured in order to be efficient in the provision of all these services. The other challenge is strengthening the judicial system to protect the legitimate interests of the citizens. Obviously the World Bank's major interest is to look at the commercial side. It is very important for the country to have a clear and modern commercial law, which must be applied properly. It is also important to make sure that a proper system is set in place to deal with commercial disputes that may arise between domestic and foreign investors. Land ownership is another important issue that needs to be addressed. Without a clear situation concerning land ownership, it is very difficult for the economic sector to function. For example, banks will have difficulty to lend because of lack of collateral. Ultimately, the big challenge is creating entrepreneurship in the country, because only the private sectors will be capable of creating economic prosperity on a sustainable basis.

Q: Any last comment?
A: I am optimistic. Judging by what I can see and what I hear from different sources, Yemen is a country with rich human resources. I am sure that there are a lot of people who can do a lot for themselves and for others by creating wealth through entrepreneurship and the need to unleash this potential. What is needed is to create an environment which will encourage such entrepreneurship to create jobs for themselves and for others.

Tenants Complain

Nearly a decade ago, renting a house was not so expensive in comparison with a typical public employee salary. There were many houses to let and less people. A house rent did not exceed 2000 rials per month. Five years ago, the best house used to cost not more than YR 5,000 or 6,000.
Year after year, things became more and more difficult. A good house today (4 bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom) will cost you at least YR 12,000. Old houses made of mud bricks and wood cost at least YR 6,000 per month, excluding water and electricity. Houses in upper middle-class neighborhoods like the Diplomatic Quarter in Sanaa cost at least YR 20,000 per month.
In more popular areas like Bab Al-Yemen, a house rent is around YR 6,000 to 8,000. But tenants are not only plagued by high rents, but also by many other problems as well. Cutting off water and electricity supplies has become a way by which landlords drive their tenants out.
In order to know more about this problem, Yemen Times interviewed some tenants.

First person:
"Six years ago, I used to pay YR 2,000 per month as a rent for the house I live in on Al-Adl street, excluding water and electricity. It is true that it is an old house, but it is clean and suitable. Three years later, the landlord asked me to pay 1,000 riyals more. I preferred to stay in the same house because it is near to my daughters' school.
"After 2 years, he asked to increase the rent by a further 1,000 riyals. Again, I agreed to pay YR 4,000 per month for the same reason. When my sister and brother came to live with us, the landlord found it a good excuse to push us to evacuate his property. He asked me this time to pay YR 6,000 a month. I agreed temporarily to pay until I could find another house. He cuts the electricity and water supply and accuses us of wasting water. So, we are trying our best to leave soon."
Second Person:
"I rented a ground-floor apartment in Baghdad Street. It appeared to be clean but quite small (4 small bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen). I had to pay YR 12,000 a month, excluding water and electricity. The rent contract signed indicated that I must tell him one month in advance if I wanted to leave.
"I discovered later when I was already in the apartment, that the septic tank usually overflowed in front of the building's entrance. Foul smell was pervasive. I couldn't open my windows. Because of that I decided to move out without telling him.
"When he knew about it, he asked me to pay the house rent even if I left because he said I violated the contract's clause indicating that I have to tell him one month before I leave. At the end, I paid the electricity and water bills."
Third Person:
"I rented a shop to start a internal decorating business. The rent contract indicated that the shop rent will be fixed for one year. After one year, we agreed, I had to pay 10% more. Coming to work one morning, I found my shop padlocked by the landlord.
When I complained, he said that someone else was willing to pay him more for the shop, and that I would have to leave without even taking my work tools, locked inside the shop. The problem grew bigger.
"He refused to give me my tools and equipment back. I went to the police station but to no avail. I filed a law suit. Three years passed without any progress. Now I work in another shop. Imagine that you have your own workshop but you work as an employee for another person!"
Fourth Person:
"I used to live in a third-floor apartment in Al-Adl street, paying YR 2,000 a month. Since the landlord is my wife's relative, we did not draw up a contract. I lived two years in that apartment.
Later, the landlord asked me to pay YR 1,500 more. I stayed two more years there, and when he again asked me to pay more I decided to move out. When I moved to another house every thing seemed to be O.K. Yet the rent was much more.
"But, even though, the man did not let us go without creating problems. He asked me to re-paint the place. When I refused, he went to the police and made a charge against me. At the end, I was obliged to paint the house.

By Khairiya Al-Shibibi

By Mohammed Hatem Al-Qadhi
Assistant Managing Editor.
Yemen Times

Rent Increase
There are many reasons behind the increase in house and shop rents. First of all, the price-hike shocks people are witnessing now and then under the pretext of the economic reform program sponsored by the World Bank is the most important reason. Landlords start asking for a higher rents as soon as price of foodstuff and other materials go up.
Another reason is that due to the constant deterioration of the Yemeni economy and accordingly the fall of the value of the Yemeni rial, a good number of people leave their villages with the hope of getting better job opportunities in the cities. This immigration congests our cities, particularly Sanaa, and thus the rent of houses and shops witness a free ascendance. It is also because Sanaa has become a destination of a good number of foreign and Arab people. There are also many new houses being built.
This is because some businessmen are running after a quick profit investment. One such way is investing money in banks. Thus, the capital of some well-to-do has turned unproductive. This leaves no room for doubt that we are facing a very big housing problem.
Third part of this plight is very peculiar. Many people are envious of the rent their neighbor is receiving: "You get such and such money for your house and I should get the same", regardless of size, condition, etc. Also some landlords receive offers for the use of their property for commercial purposes such as language institutes, companies, computer centers, etc. It is a good chance for them to make money, isn't it? So, then the landlord thinks how he can get rid of his existing tenant. It can only be through asking for a higher rent.

Rent increase ration
In fact, the rent increase has no specific proportion. It is up to the landlord to define it. The rise could reach 50%; it could accelerate upto 100% or even 200%. This really happens especially when leasing shops. And it is because of shops that most of the problems between tenants and landlords take place. A person might rent his shop for one or two years. When the time is over, he asks for a double rent or simply "evacuate my shop in two days time"? The tenant has lost a lot of money in decorating and repairing the shop; he has now made some good steps in business and gained a few customers. So, how can he leave the shop; where to go?
Of course, the tenant refuses to quit. The landlord brings the police to close the shop and the tenant does the same to open it. A case might be filed in court. The more one pays, the easier and quicker he wins. Sometimes the case remains in the court for months or even years. Sometimes violence and gun-firing might be the final choice to finish off such problems and disputes.
In some other cases, tenants accept the rent regardless of how much it is. I have known that the rent of a one-door shop on Hadda street is now $1000 per a month. Is this possible? The tenant knows how to compensate; he easily raises the prices of his goods and thus gets a good profit. So it is only the poor who suffer.

Renting criteria
There are many criteria defining the rent of houses. Location is very important in the capital Sanaa. We find that houses located in the political zone and Hadda, which are new and therefore cleaner are very expensive, whereas those in the sub suburbs of the capital, which are older, are thus a lot cheaper.

Leasing contract
We find that the procedures of renting a shop or a house is mainly conducted at real-estate offices. And the two sides have to abide what is in the contract. It can also be done through a 'go-between' where no contracts are signed. It is because of the latter that most of the renting problems occur. However, even contracts can be violated for the landlord, as I mentioned previously, resorts to force and ignores the contract. So, if the tenant is not courageous enough to withstand the landlord's arrogance, he will find himself out on the street. But is it necessary that we should be always violent and bloody to keep our dignity untarnished?

Will the government address the renting problem promptly?

The law regulating house rental is the civil law. But there must be another law to provide more details about this matter. Many members of parliament are not in a position to objectively debate such a law, because most of them are real-estate owners. Tenants usually abide by all the commitments whereas the landlords have all the privileges in the rent contracts. This problem must be tackled urgently.

Commission
Renting houses and shops in Yemen can be done in different ways. It can happen through estate agents, who are responsible for drawing up contracts between the landlord and the tenant. They get a commission in return which can be the equivalent of one month's rent. The tenant might pay the commission if he is supposed to pay the rent of less than 6 months in advance. But if he ought to pay the rent of more than 6 months in advance, the landlord and the tenant should share paying the commission. If the tenant has to pay the rent of more than 6 months, let's say a year, the landlord has to pay the whole commission. This has become a convention and a rule. It might become one day a legal rule documented as a part of the rental law.
It is not obligatory that the letting of houses or shops should be conducted through real-estate agents. Some shops owners in any Yemeni city have a good knowledge of the houses and shops for rent. Therefore, they can be mediators between the landlord and the tenant, and thus get a commission similar to that paid to estate agents. The difference is that they don't pay taxes for they are not registered as estate agents.

Rent Amount
It is really strange that there is no criteria for the amount of rent in a given area. It is left to the landlord's fancy to decide that. But there are many factors that play an important role in deciding rent increase such as: is the property a villa or an apartment? The location of the house is another factor. Whether the house is old or new matters a lot.

Contract Duration
The contract duration for houses and villas is usually one year. But for shops it is 5 years, as stipulated by the law. But the problem is that after one year the landlord's appetite for an increase in the rent gets bigger and bigger even if there is a contract which doesn't mention any rent increase. The problem is to do with the landlord's mentality, who may claim to have all the rights over the tenant. He can even demand to enter the house under the pretext of finding out what changes have taken place. The tenant cannot stop him as he is usually afraid of being kicked out.
The second reason is the fluctuation in the dollar exchange rate against the Yemeni riyal. When the landlord hears that the dollar has gone up raising with it the prices of foodstuff and other basic commodities, he soon asks for a higher rent, although this may not be mentioned in the contract.

Terminating a Valid Contract
Both the landlord and the tenant have the right to terminate the contract before it expires, provided that the party wishing to do so should inform the other side within one or two months. Some landlords use this clause to pressurize the tenants so as to accept a rent increase. In my opinion this clause should be used by the tenant only for the following reasons:
1- Changing the tenant's workplace and the need to move to a nearer residence.
2- The desire of the tenant in getting a cheaper house according to his salary.

Handing Back the Property
Rental law states that if the tenant wants to leave the house, he should give it back in as a good condition as it was when he first moved in. Sometimes the tenant gives the landlord a month's rent towards the repair and renovation of the house. This conventional rule is applied even though it is not mentioned in the contract.
But in case the house is in a bad condition and needs extensive renovation, the tenant has to pay the required money. Thus, usually a problem between landlord and tenant breaks out. This is because the tenant does not usually pay a deposit at the outset towards any eventualities.

Water
It is well-known that Yemen suffers a lot owing to water shortages. Some zones in the big cities like Sanaa do not have a regular water supply. So people resort to buying water from privately-owned wells. Sometimes tanker cars are used to transport water to households at the rate of 500 riyals per tanker. Having a running water supply is one of the reasons why landlords demanding higher rents, regard such a service as a luxury.

Lodgers
Sometimes before signing the contract, the landlord asks about the number of the dwellers intending to live in the house. If the number of tenants is large, the landlord might ask for a higher rent forgetting that the Yemeni family is naturally an extended one.
If the landlord lives in the same building with the tenants or near them, he becomes furious upon seeing a lot of visitors coming to the house, because he thinks they are lodgers rather than just visitors.

Bachelors
Renting for unmarried males (because in Yemen females are not allowed to live alone) is a problem, particularly if the bachelor intends to live alone, without house-mates. Living within a group of men may ensure that a female will not be invited to the house.
The neighbors become angry and protest if they see any female entering the house of an unmarried male tenant, who has to prove that she his relative, for example. In Yemen, it is believed that if a man and a woman are together in one place it has no purpose but sex.
In spite of the fact that Islam forbids homosexuality, the entering of a man into the house of a male tenant does not arouse the usual suspicion associated with females. Thus, the neighbors become the monitors of the unmarried lodgers living near them. Sometimes they give him a hard time by reporting him to the landlord or even to the police, claiming that they have seen him with a girl in the house in order to get rid of him/them.
This means adultery. If proven the couple are punished accordingly. If not, the man and woman involved are accused of being together in a closed place without any legal relationship, a crime in Yemeni law.
In case the landlord accepts one or more unmarried tenants, he gives his conditions that he/they should not invite any females to the house; otherwise, he can kick him/them out. This is actually an interference with one's personal freedom, which is a part of human rights that should be respected and protected by society and law.