The privatisation of solid waste management under the Solid Waste and Urban Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672), which came into effect on Sept 1, will not incur additional charges to consumers, Housing and Local Government Minister Chor Chee Heung said today.

Chor said assessment fees collected by the respective local councils would also be retained and not increased.

"The rates paid by the people to local councils will be the same and there will be no additional charges.

"Any extra charge will be borne by the government, meaning the people will not be burdened," he told reporters during the signing of a concessionaire agreement and a tripartite agreement for the privatisation of solid waste management and public cleansing in Putrajaya.

The signing was witnessed by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

All solid waste collection and urban cleaning services would now be under the purview of three concessionaires overseeing three zones.

The central and east peninsular zones (Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, Putrajaya, Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu, excluding Selangor) will be overseen by Alam Flora Sdn Bhd; the north peninsular zone (Kedah and Perlis, excluding Penang and Perak) by Environment Idaman Sdn Bhd; and the south peninsular zone (Johor, Malacca and Negri Sembilan) by SWM Environment Sdn Bhd.

Chor said under the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act, which came into effect on Sept 1, solid waste management and public cleansing would be privatised and the concessionaires involved subjected to a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) system.

Any complaints on service involving solid waste management and public cleanliness can be lodged through toll free hotline 1-800-88-7472.

- Bernama