All district areas in Sabah are PBT rating areas

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KOTA KINABALU: The rating area under the local authorities (PBT), like district councils and municipal councils, has been expanded to cover all areas in the districts in Sabah.

Sabah Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor said this blanket approval was given by the state cabinet several years ago, but it was up to the respective PBT to enforce it.

“With that, all areas in the respective districts can be imposed tax by PBT,” he said in a statement here today.

Prior to this, he said, the approval was given based on case by case.

“For example, if there is a piece of land or site in a certain district developed for housing or industrial or commercial purpose, the PBT concerned has to apply to the state government through the Local Government and Housing Ministry to impose the rate,” he added.

This, he said, was not practical and time consuming.

“Now, with this blanket approval, the PBT and the ministry do not have to go back to the cabinet for every case,” he said in conjunction with the Sabah PBT Convention.

In another development, Hajiji suggested all PBT to set up their own website or Facebook through which the public could lodge complaints, especially after office hours and during emergency.

As the frontliner of the government service, the PBT should be within reach by the public at all times, he added.

He also suggested the PBT to have their own flying squad to handle emergency cases. — BERNAMA