The Sarawak cabinet today agreed to defer the introduction of new assessment rates on all types of properties by one year until 2004. This decision is seen as a rare victory of sorts for Sarawak ratepayers.

The state government had earlier decided to introduce higher assessment rates from Jan 1 next year reflecting a revised annual rateable values on all types of properties based on a re-valuation exercise carried out in 1996.

At a post-cabinet press conference, Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud said the re-valuation exercise would now continue to cover new properties developed after 1996 not covered by the last exercise.

Taib said a re-valuation exercise of annual rateable value is merely to gauge the rentals that properties can command for the purpose of levying annual assessment rates.

Although news of the new rates postponement has been widely welcomed, for some 100,000 ratepayers in Kuching (in areas under the jurisdiction of three local authorities the Commission of Kuching City North, the Council of Kuching City South and the Padawan Municipal Council they will, however, have to pay a yet-to-be determined new charge for the privatised waste management treatment).