GEORGE TOWN, Oct 2 — The Penang government will make a final decision on its assessment rate review after the deadline for ratepayers to submit objections ends on October 14.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the city councils will have to wait for the objection period to end to gauge the response from ratepayers.
“It is premature to say at the moment, let the objection period ends first then we will look at the impact before making a decision on it,” he told reporters today when asked if the state government would consider reducing the assessment rates payables due to the review.
He stressed that both city councils had been prudent to keep the impact as low as possible by reducing the rates when the property annual value was reviewed and increased in most cases.
The annual value of properties is calculated by the annual rental the premises would have commanded and city councils have reviewed it to reflect current rates for 2020 as it has not been reviewed for 15 years.
Chow read out the amount of increases faced by four different types of residential properties affected by the annual value review.
In Seberang Perai, a total 22,915 units out of 23,337 units of low cost and low medium cost landed properties are facing an increase of less than RM50.
“A total 110,760 units of other landed properties, or 86 per cent, are facing an increase of less than RM100,” he said.
For stratified low cost and low medium cost units, he said all 33,082 units are facing increase of less than RM30.
A total 29,590 units of apartments and condominiums out of 30,589 units will face less than RM50 increases.
Meanwhile on the island, Chow said all low cost and low medium cost units will see increases of less than RM33 for landed properties and less than RM85 for stratified properties.
“About 97 per cent of all other landed properties, or about 67,934 units, on the island will face increases of less than RM500,” he said.
A total 94,602 units of apartments and condominiums on the island, which makes up 94 per cent out of total 101,026 units, will also see increases of less than RM200.
Chow said ratepayers will need to submit their objections within the period given so that the city councils will consider their appeals.
“The city council will conduct hearing sessions with ratepayers who objected to consider their objections,” he said.
All ratepayers on both the island and mainland have until October 14 to submit their objections against the assessment rate reviews.
