THE Penang government is unhappy that the state’s international airport is only getting a nine-million passenger “upgrade” that may not take it very far into the future.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said by the time upgrading works were completed, it would be time for another expansion.

“We know construction and upgrading works can take three to four years, so by the time the works are completed, Penang will likely have to ask for another expansion or upgrade.

“The upgrade should be to cover up to 12 million passengers. Do it in one go. Don’t make Penang ask for upgrades so many times,” he told reporters in Seberang Prai today.

The Penang airport in Bayan Lepas was upgraded in recent years with a 6.5 million passenger capability. It was supposed to be sufficient until 2020 but the airport hit 6.7 million passengers last year and 7.1 million this year.

Lim said the number of passengers would grow with Qatar Airways’ direct flights between Doha and Penang starting February next year.

The opposition-led state government was also disappointed that Penang’s iconic ferry service was left out in the budget announcement by Prime Minister Najib Razak yesterday.

Lim said there was no mention of funds nor any indication how federal government-linked Prasarana Malaysia Bhd – Malaysia’s biggest public transport provider – would improve the ferry services.

Prasarana is taking over the operations of the loss-making ferries from Penang Port. Thousands of passengers and motorists use the ferries, which are part of Penang’s heritage, to travel between the island and the mainland every day.

Lim, who is also Bagan MP, said the ferry service would need at least RM100 million to improve.

“Without any capital investment to buy new ferries or equipment, efforts to revitalise the service will not be effective, and Prasarana will lose about RM23 million yearly,” he said.

Toll on the Penang Bridge should also have been scrapped, along with the budget’s proposal to abolish certain tolls in Selangor, Johor and Kedah.

“The bridge was among the first places where toll was collected. The building cost of the bridge has been covered.

“But the toll collection is extended to 2038 to cover the cost of the second bridge, too. It should have been abolished as well,” he said.

Najib, in the tabling of Budget 2018 yesterday, announced the abolition of four tolls, effective January 1. Two were scrapped in Batu 3 and Sungai Rasau in Selangor, and one each in Bukit Kayu Hitam in Kedah and the Eastern Dispersal Link in Johor.

Lim also said clarity was needed on the budget announcement on local council services being exempted from the goods and services tax as Penang local councils currently absorb the 6% consumption tax.

“The councils still have to pay GST when they undertake infrastructure projects.

“Since 2008, Penang has spent RM3.1 billion on infrastructure projects and RM200 million went to GST. Imagine how many other infrastructure projects we could have built using that money.” – October 28, 2017.