Lo (left) and deputy chairman Dato Ahmad Ibrahim at the conference.
KUCHING: Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) has collected a total of RM12.8 million in assessment rates for the first half of the year.
Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) chairman Lo Khere Chiang said such an amount was achievable due to the commitment of ratepayers.
“Our assessment rate collection has been very encouraging over the years, and for the first half of this year, we managed to collect RM12.8 million.
“And the amount was achievable due to the commitment and cooperation of taxpayers to carry out their responsibility,” Lo told a press conference at MPP today after chairing a special full council meeting.
He hoped that ratepayers would continue to work closely with the council to pay the assessment rates to enable the council to bring development to MPP.
Lo also said that the council has always managed to collect about 95 per cent of the assessment rate every year, which amounted to about RM22 million.
“Including the annual assessment rate, we have a total revenue of about RM32 million every year,” he added.
On property development in MPP, Lo said the sector has a annual growth of between four and five per cent.
“The growth of property like residential and commercial units continues at between four and five per cent every year and this is a healthy development,” Lo, who is also Batu Kawah assemblyman, pointed out.
In regards to the Batu Kawah waterfront, he said the project will be constructed in five phases, adding that RM5 million has been allocated for the first phase.
He also said a park would be built along Jalan Batu Kawah to become a recreational area for the public.
In MPP, 13 of the total 30 councillors are new faces, and Lo advised all of them to be on the ground to hear and solve the issues and problems faced by the people.
Meanwhile, he thanked Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian for the trust and confidence in him to continue to lead the council.