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Call on Penang State Government in the spirit of the motto "Penang Leads" to make a policy decision to implement the NEAC recommendation and direct MPSP and MPPP to give a rebate on sewerage costs to ratepayers from the assessment rates

Speech (2)
- P. Patto Memorial Meeting
by Lim Kit Siang

(Bagan, Tuesday): The National Economic Action Council (NEAC) in its National Economic Recovery Plan (NERP) released by Special Functions Minister, Tun Daim Zainuddin, last Thursday has made recommendations to relieve the burden of sewerage costs of all ratepayers.

I call on them Penang State Government, in the spirit of the motto "Penang Leads" to make a policy decision at the State Exco meeting tomorrow to implement the NEAC recommendation and direct the MPSP and the MPPP to give a rebate on sewerage costs to ratepayers from the assessment rates as the IWK has taken over the services.

The NERP made three recommendations in connection with the nation-wide complaints by the people about the Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) services and charges, and one of its recommendations was to echo the complaint of all ratepayers that "Customers do not want to pay twice for the same service" and that "Local authorities need to give a rebate on sewerage costs to consumers from assessment rates once IWK takes over the services".

Penang Chief Minister, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon should take the lead of all state governments to publicly announce that the Penang State Government would accept and implement the NEAC�s NERP recommendation that local authorities give a rebate on sewerage costs to consumers from assessment rates, giving MPSP and MPPP one month to announce the details of such a rebate on sewerage costs to all ratepayers from assessment rates.

In this connection, I will call on all State Governments to direct their local authorities to implement the NEAC recommendation of giving out rebates on sewerage costs to ratepayers from the assessment rates as the IWK has taken over the service.

The other two recommendations of the NEAC on IWK sewerage services and charges are:

IWK should increase its operational efficiency and productivity.
IWK should provide services at reasonable rates to encourage customers to use its services.

In line with the recommendation of the NEAC, IWK should review and reduce its sewerage charges, which should have full retrospective effect, as the price of the public utility has increased considerably following the transfer of the service from the Government to the private sector.

(28/7/98)

*Lim Kit Siang - Malaysian Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Democratic Action Party Secretary-General & Member of Parliament for Tanjong