No hike in assessment rates despite DBKL’s larger budget

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CITY dwellers have been assured that there will be no increase in assessment rates despite Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) announcement of a larger 2012 budget.

However, Kuala Lumpur mayor Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad Ismail said DBKL would still see an increase in revenue from assessment collection due to the increase in properties in KL

“We have projected a 10.1% increase to RM1,461bil in our total income for next year. The bulk of the revenue will come from our assessment tax collection which will amount to RM810.53mil,” he said.

Collection has been quite good at more than 90% while the arrears were due to businesses that have collapsed or wound up.

Other main sources of income are RM239.7mil from payment of building control and planning, RM114.11mil from housing rental and service charge and RM45.53mil from licensing.

Guidelines: Fuad (left) and treasurer Omar Abas with the Budget 2012 for DBKL.

The Federal Government will be providing DBKL with a RM112.75mil grant that includes RM36mil for road maintenance under the Marris allocation.

A further RM381.59mil comes under the 10th Malaysia Plan, a special flood mitigation project, NKRA and Greater KL/KV while RM12mil for the covered walkway project is from Petronas.

Reserve savings of RM448.471mil will also be used to fund development projects next year.

“Though it is a surplus budget, after taking into account the development costs of RM925.276mil, DBKL’s budget is still in deficit,” Fuad said.

The DBKL strategic plan focuses on five objectives including City For The People, Economic Prosperity, Connected City, Eco City and Good Governance that is in line with the management and development of the capital city.

Under the management allocation, RM362.97mil is for emolument, RM46.53mil for overtime and RM910.87mil for services that is split into various segments.

These segments include:

*Management and administration (RM164.6mil)

*City cleansing (RM196.1mil)

*Construction, upgrading and maintenance of roads (RM360.6mil)

*Drainage works and river maintenance (RM84.1mil)

*Installation, upgrading and maintenance of street, decorative and floodlights (RM51mil)

*Traffic system facility and maintenance (RM150mil)

*Building, repairing and meintenance of parking lots, bus stops and pedestian walkways (RM33.1mil)

*Maintenance of parks, open spaces, recreational facilities and greening activities (RM223.4mil)

*Health programmes (RM6.5mil)

*Social, cultural and sports programmes (RM33mil)

*Construction, upgrading, buying and maintenance of buildings (245.7mil)

*Maintenance and development of people’s housing projects (RM161.6mil)

*Purchase of vehicles, machineries, computers and assets (RM66.8mil)

*Fixed payments (RM31.5mil)

*Miscellaneous including squatter relocation, insurance and more (RM86.4mil).