GIVING MORE power to local authorities to manage their areas and business sites is mandatory for their improvement.
Pantai Damai assemblyman Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi said this would enhance the administrators’ capability to handle and carry out development programmes.
He suggested measures such as imposing a surcharge payment for late taxpayers and increasing the penalty and compound rates.
“The activities of small and medium traders should be managed well, in line with efforts to make each town and city clean and safe with a friendly community,” he said at the tabling of the Local Authorities (Amendment) Bill, 2013 at the third session of the 17th State Legislative Assembly.
Dr Abdul Rahman said many complaints had been filed about food vendors who ignore the rules and laws set by local authorities and, in so doing, cause problems for the public.
“Some of the inconveniences aired are traffic disruption, improper disposal of rubbish and presence of vectors like flies, cockroaches and rats which bring all sorts of diseases like food poisoning and leptospirosis,” he said, adding noise and air pollution to the list.
Dr Abdul Rahman suggested that law offenders be given a higher fine or penalty for a more systematic regulation of their activities.
He urged Kuching City North Commission (DBKU) to standardise the changes made in the amendment to avoid a significant difference between DBKU and neighbouring local authority rules and regulations.
“This is to avoid misconceptions among consumers and traders if the action taken is not uniform among the local authorities, and these rules and actions should be refined from time to time,” he said.
Dr Abdul Rahman hoped all the local authorities would work together to refine their performances for the community.