KUCHING: Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) is facing some resistance from the local business community while other municipal councils are in different stages of enforcing the Local Authorities (Advertisements) By-Law 2012
Several members of Sibu business community complained of the harsh manner and the lack of transparency in SMC’s enforcement of the by-law which requires business operators to obtain valid advertisement licence from the local council before putting up any advertisement signboard.
Under the By-Law, businessmen are required to submit application for any advertisement licence to the local council for any advertisement on their premises or within the compound of their premises together with the dimensions of their signage (name and logo) of their business name signboard and billboard.
When contacted yesterday, Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Dato James Chan, Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) Datuk Bandar Datuk Abang Wahap Abang Julai, and Miri Municipal Council chairman Lawrence Lai all agreed that a by-law is by-law which has to be implemented.
Except for Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) chairman Lo Khere Chiang whose council has yet to implement it, all three councils have implemented the by-law. Lo said they would enforce the by-law in consort with other local councils although revenue from advertisement was not substantial.
Abang Wahap admitted that DBKU was quite slow in implementing the by-law but it was in various stages of consultation with the business community.
“We have been slow in implementing it as we don’t have the manpower, but we have started. For business operators who have advertisements in their business premises, they are advised to contact us. They need licences for their business signboards and the display of the advertisements,” Abang Wahab said when contacted.
He added that the council would first start with those business premises with glaring and huge signboards. So for the businessmen with these signboards, he advised them to either apply for licence or to take down the signboards.
“We will give them time. But we will enforce the by-law as it is in line with our goal of creating a clean, beautiful and safe city.”
Lai meanwhile said that local council advertisement charges actually went through a revision before local authorities went ahead with its implementation.
“The fee used to be RM350 per one square metre. After listening to requests of advertisement associations, the state government lowered it to RM100 per one square metre. This is applicable throughout the state.
“Here in Miri we are implementing it in stages, starting with commercial banks, then finance and insurance companies before going to petrol stations.”
He added that no major issues were raised by local businessmen since the implementation.
Chan meanwhile said MBKS started first with some awareness campaigns such as dialogue sessions with the affected people to give a clear explanation in order to avoid confusion.
He said that feedbacks from the affected community such as the appeal for lower rate were looked into to create a conducive environment for businessmen to operate their business.
“We listened to them and that is why the government has lowered the rate substantially. Advertisement fee ranks No 5 in terms of revenue for us,” he said.