Pemudah success in simplifying business licences

PUTRAJAYA: A total of nine business licences have been abolished, while 717 more have been re-engineered and simplified into 448 business licences at federal level, according to The Special Taskforce to Facilitate Business (Pemudah) Annual Report 2013.
A total of 392 government agencies have implemented e-payment service providing 708 services compared with 250 agencies and 551 services in the previous year, said the report.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall has reduced the number of procedures for approval of construction permits from 37 to 15 and the time taken from 140 days to 130, according to the report which was launched by the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa here today.
Pemudah was set up seven years ago to address the urgent need for closer collaborations between both the public and private sectors to enhance the public service delivery and improve Malaysia's business environment.
According to the report, loan applications for small and medium entrepreneurs have been simplified with the introduction of the PARTNER Programme, and key terms of housing loan agreements for principal amounts of RM500,000 and below have been standardised in both English and Bahasa Malaysia versions.
One-Stop Centre 1Submission for Construction Permits by KL City Hall has been implemented, while incorporation fee has been reduced from RM3,000 to RM1,000 for companies with an authorised share capital of RM400,000.
Other achievements included amendment of Income Tax Act 1967 to facilitate the submission of tax returns by both taxpayers and companies, and implementation of the Court Recording and Transcription System to expedite hearings and reduce judicial delays in Industrial Courts.
Talking to reporters after the launch of the report, Ali said, Pemudah would help lift Malaysia's international rankings in terms of achievement, competitiveness and doing business in addition to giving the best services to the rakyat.
He said Malaysia's success to clinch sixth spot in World Bank's Doing Business 2014 report proved that the country was capable and improvements needed to be made from time to time.
"We have study various new areas for this year. We will have more new initiatives this year," he said. – Bernama