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).

Privatise to Trienekens

The solid waste management services have been privatised to a company Trienekens in which there is German equity and management by the local councils in Kuching since two years ago.

Taib said the waste management treatment charges, including disludging of tanks, would depend on the types of properties residential or commercial.

The rates issue dominated today's four-hour cabinet meeting which went through lunch hours, and Taib met the press at about 2.30pm. Also present were Deputy Chief Minister Dr George Chan Hong Nam and Minister of Environment and Public Health William Mawan.

The chief minister said the Environment and Public Health Ministry would work out the details of the waste management treatment charges. Mawan will brief the media more on the cabinet's decision today, and on the new charges for solid waste management services tomorrow.

This will be the first time in Sarawak that such charges are to be imposed. After Kuching, it is expected to be extended to all other major towns, including Sibu, Miri and Bintulu, after similar services have been extended there.

Independent from funding

Taib did not say by how much the new assessment rates would be increased from Jan 1, 2004 but said the government's idea is for the major local authorities to be independent of the ministry for funding to cover basic services such as street lightings, road maintenance and drainage improvements.

Presently, shortfalls from assessment rates for basic local authorities' basic maintenance services are covered by grants channeled to local authorities through the ministry.

Today's cabinet decision came after weeks of hue and cry from political parties, both government and opposition, chambers of commerce and industry, associations and individual ratepayers.