SELAYANG, 23 Oct: The Selangor government has been asked to review and postpone the proposal to increase the business licence fee from between 100 to 500 percent which will be enforced by the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) next year.
The Member of Parliament for Selayang, William Leong, said that even though there are traders who are able to pay the new rate, however it is not suitable to be implemented for the time being.
Let alone, he said, that the increase will affect traders and consumers who are facing increasing pressures of living which will be increased with the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST) which they will have to face.
“The synchronisation was issued under the MPS Trade, Business and Industry Licencing By-Laws in 2007 during the administration of Barisan Nasional (BN); however it was postponed and only now it is to be implemented.
“The increase in the fee is according to the types of businesses or services and the size (area) of the premises. This will burden the people and there is no rational in being classed like that.
“We know that the local authorities have funding problems, but this is not the right way. So let us ask the state government to study and postpone the proposal and we will take this matter to be discussed during the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) meeting,” he said.
He said this during a media conference at his office near here today.
Among the services that the increase in licence fee will be imposed on include the sale of metal goods, food and drink businesses, and so on.
Meanwhile, the Assemblywoman for Rawang, Gan Pei Nei, said that she has made an appeal to the Exco in charge of Local Government, Ean Yong Hian Wah, for this increase to be postponed to avoid the people from being burdened.
She said that so far, she has received 10 complaints every day from traders who have asked for the rational of this new increase to be studied.
“This is not the time with the rough economic condition where the people have to bear the high cost of living.
“The state government should be attentive towards the people’s problems because it is definitely burdensome,” she added.
NS
