THE Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has no plans to provide discounts on assessment tax, Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa said today.

Annuar said DBKL and other related agencies under his ministry have rolled out initiatives amounting to RM100 million to alleviate the city folk.

This includes deferment of payment for DBKL-run housing schemes and rental for business premises owned by the city hall for a period of six months.

“As of now the City Hall has no plans to provide discounts for assessment tax.

“Nonetheless, for those who have problems they can defer the payment of assessment tax or pay in instalments until the end of the year,” he said during the first minister question-and-answer time in the Dewan Rakyat this year.

He was responding to a question by Fong Kui Lun [Bukit Bintang-Pakatan Harapan) on whether DBKL will consider discounts on assessment tax to alleviate the burden of city folk following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Annuar said there are no provisions under the Local Government Act that allow for discounts on assessment tax.

However, under Section 162, premises owners who are not able to rent out their premises could apply for payment exemption.

Meanwhile, under Section 134 and 135 of the same act, exemptions can be given to the premises used as public amenities or for recreational and social purposes. 

“DBKL will take specific items under the Local Government Act into consideration but there is no provision for discounts across the board in the aforesaid act.”

Annuar (Ketereh-BN) said there are also multi-ministry efforts to provide microcredit for small businesses for traders in the city.  – July 13, 2020.