KUALA TERENGGANU – The Kuala Terengganu City Council (MBKT) has privatised paid parking areas, specifically on road shoulders in the city since July 1.
Chairman of the state Local Authority, Housing, Health and Environment Committee, Dr Alias Razak said the move was necessary as MBKT had incurred losses since 2016 due to damaged manual meters which had been used since 20 years ago.
“The financial analysis from 2016 until 2019 found that the expense incurred was more than the revenue collected. In 2016, the net loss to MBKT was RM170,000; in 2017, it was RM484,000; in 2018, it was RM850,000; and in 2019, it was RM918,000.
“So initiatives such as online, Touch ‘n Go and MyKad payments as well as specific applications were needed. But these involved high costs and we (MBKT) did not have the skills, so we chose to privatise it,” he said.
Dr Alias was replying to an oral question from Datuk Seri Ahmad Said (BN-Kijal) who wanted to know if it was true that the MBKT will privatise the paid parking areas in Kuala Terengganu city.
He added that the bumiputera company Vista Summerose Sdn Bhd which has been appointed to manage these parking areas was also operating parking areas for Kuala Lumpur City Hall and the Kota Bharu Municipal Council.
“This privatisation will provide fixed returns to MBKT amounting to RM975,000 a year which will be paid by the company which will also bear the cost of repairing all damaged meters without any charge to MBKT,” he said.
In a separate development, since January this year, the Terengganu Government through the Agriculture Disaster Fund, has provided RM76,700 to 87 farmers who were affected by natural disasters.
Chairman of the state Agriculture, Agro-Based Industry and Rural Development Committee Dr Azman Ibrahim said these included those affected by floods, drought, huge waves, landslides, sea tragedies, attacks by elephants, pigs and monkeys, as well as plant or animal diseases.
“Financial aid is credited directly into the recipient’s account without delay,” he said when replying to an oral question from Ridzuan Hashim (PAS-Buluh Gading).
— BERNAMA
