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Post date: Nov 03, 2010 12:52:17 AM
Wednesday November 3, 2010
THE response to Petaling Jaya City Council’s (MBPJ) electronic payment system (ePay) is nothing but cold.
In the first 10 months of this year, the council has only received 11 licence applications amounting to RM426.65 through the service.
It, however, recorded more transactions for quit rent and assessment, numbering 2,552.
The ePay system, introduced two years ago, allows residents and traders to apply for licences and pay rental, quit rent and compounds online.
During the launch of the service yesterday, Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohammed Roslan Sakiman said the initiative taken by the council had not been well received possibly because the public were not aware of it. He said this setback would not deter MBPJ from its aim of achieving a 15% increase in online licence application next year.
The council will also take steps to cut down the number of counters for licence applications.
“The counters will be reduced in stages beginning January 2011.
“To help increase usage of ePay, we will be organising workshops for traders over the next few months to educate them on the system,” said Roslan.
For areas in the outskirts of the city, he said the council would be setting up kiosks equipped with computers at community halls, bill payment counters and at its licensing department.
“Officers will be on hand to teach people on how to use the system,” he said.
He hopes the public will accept the service and start using it to pay their bills from next year on-wards.
As of September this year, he said the council had issued 61,694 licences for businesses, industries, advertisements, traders, stalls, dogs, temporary permits and temporary licences for advertisements.
“With the ePay system, we can definitely reduce the number of people waiting at the counters and the public can send in their applications at any time and from anywhere,” he added.
Besides the ePay system, MBPJ at its full board meeting in August had decided to introduce licences to office premises in Petaling Jaya, following in the footsteps of other local councils in Selangor.
The fees are charged according to the size of the premises.
For premises measuring up to 90 sqm, owners will have to pay RM250, while premises of between 91 and 120 sqm and those above 121 sqm will be charged RM500 and RM750 respectively.
According to MBPJ deputy secretary Ahmat Mohaayen organisations, clubs, societies and professional bodies such as law firms, clinics and banks are exempted from this licence requirement.
The council will also impose a deposit on all permanent licences it issues next year, except for dog licence.
Licencees who do not renew their yearly licence on time will have to pay a fine ranging from RM100 to RM200 starting next year.
“This is to ensure licence-holders carry out the renewal within the given time period,” said Ahmat, who was also present at the launch.
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