KUCHING, March 26 — The federal government’s recent decision to allow other qualified companies to provide periodic motor vehicle inspection service “is an important breakthrough” to enhance service delivery, said Datuk Jonathan Chai.
The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Sarawak (Acccis) secretary-general said the decision “is a great and laudable policy decision” made by the new administration.
“From the perspective of the business community, especially those involved in the logistics and transportation industry, this is a welcomed ‘relief’ in the hope that the queuing time for the inspection service could be substantially reduced,” he said when contacted by The Borneo Post today.
He was asked to comment on Transport Minister Anthony Loke, who on Friday (March 24), said Pusat Pemeriksaan Kenderaan Berkomputer (Puspakom) would no longer be the sole periodic motor vehicle inspection service provider from September 1 next year.
Chai said this marked an important breakthrough as the government is going to examine and review all the concession agreements of all government agencies and ministries to make sure that there would not be any undue monopoly.
He cautioned that monopoly could hinder effective and efficient delivery of services to the public.
Given this, he said the decision to remove monopoly of Puspakom was in line with the government’s desire to create a competitive service environment.
He believed that it would also serve to make it easier for people to deal with such tasks as disclosed by the minister concerned.
“Over the years, there had been public complaints about lack of efficiency, as many had to spend hours waiting for their vehicles to be inspected, and also due to the fact that there is a limited number of Puspakom branches,” he pointed out.
In Kuching, Chai observed that the current Puspakom premises is located in Pending here.
He noted that this premises is expected to be relocated to the Samarahan division soon.
“We hope that there could be other branches of the motor vehicle inspection centres set up in places around the vicinity of Kuching so that the congestion can be diverted to other locations.
“This should also help cut down the queuing time and also the travelling distance for the convenience of the public,” he added.
On March 24, Loke said it was decided during the March 17 Cabinet meeting that other qualified companies would also be permitted to provide the service on behalf of the Road Transport Department (JPJ).
According to him, the process of engaging private companies to offer this service is expected to begin the latest by the first quarter of next year.
“This decision means Puspakom will no longer be the sole provider of periodic motor vehicle inspection service on behalf of JPJ beginning September 1, 2024,” he told a news conference in Putrajaya. — Borneo Post
