Lo Khere Chiang – File photo
KUCHING: The Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) has assured the private property owners within its jurisdiction that there will be no increase in assessment rates next year.
The council’s chairman Lo Khere Chiang asserted that the state government will only exercise the revaluation for government properties next year.
“I have contacted Local Government and Housing Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian and he confirmed that there will be no increase in the assessment rates for private properties.
“In addition, it is the state government’s decision (through Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri) to decide on property revaluation for rating purposes,” he told reporters after the MPP full council meeting here today.
Lo, who is also Batu Kitang assemblyman, disclosed that in 2016, former chief minister Pehin Sri Adenan Satem took the initiative to reduce the assessment rates.
“This was done to reduce the burden of the ‘rakyat’,” he added.
Lo was responding to a directive issued by the federal Housing and Local Government minister Zuraida Kamaruddin for all local councils nationwide to review their assessment rates next year.
She added that any increase in assessment tax for local authorities will not burden the people.
In his Facebook post, Dr Sim responded by saying that such directive was not applicable to Sarawak, since the state has autonomy over its local councils under the Local Authorities Ordinance 1996.
He pointed out that there were no increase in assessment rates since 1970 despite the increased costs involving grass cutting works, rubbish collection and street light maintenance works.
ALILEO PETINGI ON