Day: April 16, 2023

Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) has been directed to offer water tariff rebate for non-domestic consumption to registered schools in the state.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said all registered government, private, international schools, colleges, religious schools and kindergartens may apply for the rebate.

“The 30 per cent rebate for schools, categorised under non-domestic consumers, is for six months from April to September this year.

“School administrators must apply for the rebate from PBAPP before Sept 30. Applications are open from today and the form can be downloaded from PBAPP website (https://pba.com.my/penang-water-tariffs/),” he said in a statement today.

He said the state government made the decision as a show of appreciation to maintain and support good relations with the 1,712 primary and secondary schools which have been providing education to thousands of children.

Chow who is also PBAPP chairman said through the federal government regulation on “Water Services Industry (rates for Water Supply Services) (State of Penang) (Amendment) Regulations 2022” gazetted on July 29, to implement a water tariff review for “nondomestic consumption” it was clearly stated that water usage in schools must be billed under “non-domestic use”.

He said a similar federal regulation was gazetted on July 27, 2022 for implementation in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Terengganu and the Federal Territory of Labuan.

“Therefore, it is clear that the previous federal government had gazetted a new water tariff for “non-domestic consumption” not only for Penang, but for all states in Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territory of Labuan on July 27, 2022.

“It is also clear that it was the previous federal government that had set and approved the regulations that had categorised water consumption in schools as “non-domestic consumption, not PBAPP or the Penang state government,” he said.

However, he said taking into account the feedback from the school authorities, PBAPP has agreed to bear the six-month rebate cost for schools as its corporate social responsibility commitment to Penang with the total cost estimated at RM2.1 million.

He said PBAPP was also maintaining Penang’s average domestic water tariff for the first 35,000 litres per month at RM0.32 per 1,000 litres this year and this is the lowest domestic water tariff in Malaysia and one of the lowest in Asia.

“In 2022, the total domestic tariff subsidy borne by PBAPP amounted to RM103.7 million which benefited 585,740 households,” he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

The National Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund (TEKUN Nasional) has disbursed RM8.3 billion in micro-financing since its establishment in 1998 until March this year.

Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Saraswathy Kandasami said the funding channelled through its 170 branches nationwide had benefited 752,177 entrepreneurs.

“The government remains committed to helping local entrepreneurs expand their businesses. TEKUN Nasional provides not only financing facilities but also advisory services and business networks,” she said in her speech when opening the Perak Entrepreneur Day Tour 2023@Jualan Ambang Aidilfitri in the Mualim district here today.

She said TEKUN Nasional provides financing from RM1,000 to RM200,000 to entrepreneurs who are developing their businesses.

In Perak alone, TEKUN Nasional has channelled RM546 million in micro-financing, including RM52.8 million through the Indian Community Entrepreneur Development Scheme (SPUMI), which has benefited 3,932 entrepreneurs.

Besides TEKUN Nasional, Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, another agency under the ministry, has so far helped over 300,000 female entrepreneurs through seven loan schemes ranging from RM5,000 to RM30,000.

Meanwhile, Saraswathy said apart from capital, lack of experience and not having the right advice are among the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in this country.

As such, the ministry, through the National Entrepreneurship Institute, is providing guidance and entrepreneurial capacity development programmes to help entrepreneurs increase the sales of their products.

The guidance programme also covers the latest business trends such as digitalisation, dropshipping, e-commerce, freelance and online business.

“Simply put, guidance services are provided from the basic steps of starting a business to domestic and international marketing coaching,” she said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) will meet soon in view of the current hot and dry weather, said Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.

Uggah, who is also SDMC chairman, said the meeting will focus on discussion and prevention of haze occurrence.

“The landas (monsoon) season is over for us now and since last week we have been experiencing hot and dry weather. So, we want to alert all divisional disaster management committees to keep a close watch on all hotspots and potential ones in their respective divisions.

“They must always be on their toes…make the necessary preparations in dealing with fire outbreaks and other related problems,” he said in a statement here, today.

He also hoped the people and those in the plantation industry would not conduct any open burning.

“Always extinguish any fire that you have started in your garden, farm or before you leave.

“The longer the dry season, the wood and vegetation debris will be highly combustible so the danger is a small fire that turns into a big one, especially in peat soil areas,” he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

All departments and agencies under the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (MAFS) are gearing up and constantly monitoring the hot spell that is expected to affect the country’s agriculture sector.

Its Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, said the country’s agricultural stock is still under control, and the ministry would ensure an adequate supply of daily necessities.

“Our officers, such as at the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA), the Farmers Organisation Authority and the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, are monitoring the situation from time to time to ensure that our stocks are available and sufficient,” he told reporters after launching the Agro Madani Sales Programme at Kampung Johan Setia here today.

Mohamad said the ministry has also drawn up an emergency plan in the event of a food supply shortage due to the current hot weather.

“We will import (agricultural goods) if need be, and we already listed the source countries if we have to do it urgently,” he said.

Regarding the Agro Madani Sales programme, Mohamad said the pilot project would be expanded to nine other locations in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

“Through this programme, commodities sold are expanded to include fresh produce and controlled items with 10 to 30 per cent discount for selected products.

“Among the focus areas are retail outlets of agencies under MAFS, People’s Housing Projects, residential areas, urban poor areas and the suburbs,” he said.

Mohamad said the ministry is targeting to generate around RM150,000 in sales through 10 series of the programme and attract 5,000 visitors.

He said the location of the next event would be announced on FAMA’s official social media platform soon.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency