Dr Sim: S’wak govt looking at ways to help local councils get more revenue
Dr Sim (seated centre) and his ministry’s permanent secretary Datu Antonio Kahti Galis (seated fourth right) join Lo (seated fourth left), Ahmad (seated second right) and MPP councillors for a photo call.
KUCHING (July 21): The Sarawak government is finding ways to help local councils to get more revenue to foot the rising expenditure especially in maintenance of facilities, said Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian.
In this regard, he said Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Datu Dr Penguang Manggil has been tasked to relook at local councils in terms of organisational structure, manpower needs, collection of revenue and services.
He explained that from this, there will be a Cabinet paper to be presented on how the local councils can operate more efficiently.
“We try to find ways to find revenues so that the councils can maintain without burdening the people in the area to pay more,” he told reporters yesterday after witnessing the swearing-in of councillors for Padawan Municipal Council (MPP).
Citing MPP as an example, he said, MPP spent RM45 million on its operations and yet the collection from the people was only RM20 million.
“Increasingly, the people expect the councils to do more, yet everybody pays less,” he added.
He said there are now many Projek Rakyat (people’s projects) including those waterfront and riverbank park projects approved by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari that need to be maintained.
He pointed out the same situation can be applied to facilities donated by individuals such as the Azman Hashim Community Sports Centre in Sibu which needs to be maintained by the local council.
“Even the Batu Kawa Riverbank Park, the maintenance is more than RM1 million a year and we cannot even ask people to pay (fees) to go in.
“That means we have to look at new revenues to support, the money that we look for development does not include maintenance, and that’s why we need to re-look at the structure (of our local councils) in a holistic way,” he said.
He also said the current allowance structure of councillors may also be reviewed as they are getting paid too little, especially those serving in urban areas.
To a question, he said the local councils will coordinate with other government agencies to prevent blacklisted contractors from bidding for contracts.
“It has been noticed some contractors are blacklisted in one local council, they would go to other agencies,” he added.
Earlier in his speech, Dr Sim, who is also Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister, advised MPP to consider not letting its Dewan Majlis (Council Chambers) for other purposes including as nomination centre during elections.
He said the Council Chambers represents the highest authority in the local council, just like how the Chambers in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) is regarded by the Sarawak government.
“The Chambers is not for rent for any functions. It must be appropriate. Just like how we hold functions in the DUN, we do not hold it in the Chambers,” he said.
Meanwhile, MPP chairman and Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang was among the councillors who took their oath during the swearing-in ceremony as all councillors in 23 local councils in Sarawak have their terms extended to another six months.
Also reappointed as councillors were Wilfred Yap, who was elected as Kota Sentosa assemblyman in the 2021 State Election, and Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim who remains as MPP deputy chairman despite being elected as Dewan Negara senator this year.
Lo, in his speech, said he felt honoured to continue serving the Padawan municipality both as DUN member and MPP chairman which he has held since 2010.
He said MPP represents a wide area which is served by three MPs and six assemblymen.
“All the current councillors and staff of MPP are working very hard on the ground just to make sure MPP’s policies are delivered to the people,” he added.
https://www.theborneopost.com/2022/07/21/dr-sim-swak-govt-looking-at-ways-to-help-local-councils-get-more-revenue/
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