By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, Jan 21: The Sarawak government will defer the payment for land premium, which is estimated to amount RM105 million, for the year 2021.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg announced this as one of the 11 measures rolled out under Bantuan Khas Sarawakku Sayang (BKSS) 5.0 to alleviate the economic pressures on Sarawakians and business communities today.
He pointed out that more than 1,720 landowners throughout Sarawak will benefit from the deferment of a one-off or one-time land premium payment for the year 2021.
“This initiative will benefit landowners throughout Sarawak covering agricultural, residential, commercial and industrial land as well as public and private institutions,” he addressed a press conference on BKSS 5.0 via Zoom video conferencing today.
For big scale agriculture land, the premium would cost RM12.5 million while for agriculture land of less than 100 acres (RM1.5 million), residential (RM13.4 million), commercial (RM13.5 million), industry (RM42.5 million) and others (RM21.6 million).
Additionally, Abang Johari added that hotels and lodging houses will also be exempted from paying their business licenses for 2021.
This measure, he continued, would benefit 340 hotel and guesthouse operators involving a total of 17,300 hotel rooms which will incur cost of RM400,000 to the State government.
“In the current difficult situation, the GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) government is always thinking and implementing the best measures to help the people.
“As such, the State government hopes that the BKSS 5.0 amounting to RM405 million will help ease the burden of all Sarawakians until June and we also hope and pray that with the vaccines, the spread of Covid-19 can be overcome after June 2021,” he said during the special announcement on BKSS 5.0 at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here today.
The BKSS 5.0 which covered 11 initiatives would cost RM405 million.
In total, the Sarawak government has allocated some RM3 billion in aid packages to all Sarawakians under BKSS 1.0 to BKSS 5.0 since the Movement Control Order (MCO), followed by Restricted MCO and Conditional MCO implemented since March last year. — DayakDaily
