SIBU: Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) will decide whether to lower the charges on the use of five-foot-way as suggested by the Sibu Jaya Community Association, council chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai said yesterday.
Sempurai Petrus Ngelai
He said being a people-centric local authority, the council always listens to feedback, concerns and suggestions put forward by members of the public, including the business community.
However, he asserted that everyone must abide by the relevant ordinances, by-laws and policies.
In this regard, he stressed the importance of a win-win situation in which public members are not denied of the obstruction-free five-foot-ways.
Sempurai was responding to Sibu Jaya Community Association chairman Benjamin Tian’s statement that the council was charging RM100 per month for the use of over 50 per cent of the thoroughfare in front of the shops, and if less than 50 per cent, the charge was RM50.
Tian had said that as soon as they were informed of the charges, association members called for a meeting to voice their dissatisfaction, adding that a meeting with the council’s deputy chairman Robert Lau followed.
To this, Sempurai said: “On the revise of the charges (suggested by Sibu Jaya Community Association), I (will) leave it to full council to decide. These are the agreed charges endorsed at the Business and Licensing Standing Committee, (after) taking all (into) consideration.
“Even before implementing the said charges, my deputy chairman (Robert Lau Hui Yew) had already conducted several dialogue sessions with the business community at Sibu Jaya regarding several issues including the charges for using five-foot-ways.
“The council is flexible and willing to listen to their opinions but at the same time the business community must abide by the authority’s by-laws and policies. It must be a two-way (process),” he reiterated.