GEORGE TOWN, Oct 1 — George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) has already identified several cases as the pilot project to roll out its RM3 million Heritage Habitat Seed Fund.
GTWHI general manager Ang Ming Chee said they are working out the final details of the project before launching it next month.
“We have identified a few pilot cases as good examples for the disbursement of the fund to encourage other heritage building owners to apply for it,” she said in a press conference after the opening of an International Conference on Managing Urban Cultural Heritage 2018 here.
She said they need to build up confidence among the stakeholders on the state’s initiative to encourage more building owners to take up the programme.
The Heritage Habitat Seed Fund was introduced to encourage premise owners to restore their heritage premises while continuing to rent the premises to existing tenants without increasing rent charges.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said this programme will enhance the quality of life of the people living in the heritage zone.
“The seed fund will aid the physical restoration and conservation of the premises with th application of smart technology, to provide relief on the cost of restoration,” he said in his opening speech earlier.
He said this programme will consequently prevent an increase in the rent charges and help maintain long-term tenancy of residents in the site.
Chow said the state needed to get some premise owners to buy in on the programme before they could roll it out.
“It took several months of preparations and working with premise owners before we can launch it in November,” he said.
The Heritage Habitat Seed Fund was announced in January this year by previous chief minister Lim Guan Eng.
It is part of the state’s efforts to stop the exodus of long-term residents from the heritage zone.
