GEORGE TOWN: The state government will allow a deduction for ratepayers who can produce valid reasons why local authorities should not raise their assessments.
Penang Housing, Local Government, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo (pix) today said there must be reasonable objections raised by ratepayers.
The state has allowed those who were unhappy with the proposed hike, which is estimated at between 30% and 70%, to write in to the state online before Oct 14.
“We are in the midst of accepting objections,“ he said after attending a briefing on the assessment rates, organised by the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
Chamber vice-president Datuk Finn Choong said there may be a need to create a new formula on how properties are valued in Penang, given the expanding number of projects and proposed plans to build mega infrastructures.
During the session, several participants suggested the state revise the assessments gradually.
The proposed notices on the hike in assessments have been sent to about 700,000 ratepayers in Penang.
Earlier at another event, Jagdeep said the state would prefer officers from the Housing and Local Government Ministry be placed at People’s Housing projects (PPR) instead of police in an effort to stamp out crime.
Jagdeep was of the view that it may create tension with PPR residents, adding that the community preferred to set up community beat bases with officers from the ministry.
He said the PPR schemes in Taman Manggis and Bagan Jaya had been selected as pioneering community beat base schemes for the country.
