By Suhaila Shahrul Annuar
SHAH ALAM, Dec 12 — The Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) is focusing on 54 public projects, including five high-impact initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable development.
Its President Ani Ahmad said the construction of a bridge and the upgrading of the Jalan Pandan Indah and Jalan Pandan Mewah intersections, costing RM7.3 million, were carried out to ease traffic congestion in the area.
Other projects involve installing landslide monitoring instruments at four locations in Bukit Antarabangsa and Teratai, costing RM4.8 million. The project is expected to be completed next year.
“The four locations are Jalan Wangsa 3, Taman Bukit Jaya, Jalan Bunga Melati 1, Jalan Mega 3, and Jalan Mega 5. Ensuring the safety of residents remains a top priority for MPAJ as the local authority,” she told SelangorKini.
Ani added that the landscaping upgrade work in the Bukit Ampang open space, costing RM275,000, will be carried out to enhance urban beautification, benefiting the surrounding residents significantly.
Upgrading recreational facilities is also a main priority, including a RM248,000 project to improve the football field at Jalan AU3/1 Keramat.
“Recognising the need for public facilities such as community halls, a project to build an open hall at Taman Keramat Permai AU1C is scheduled for implementation next year,” she said.
The 25 per cent increase in MPAJ’s assessment tax will boost the local authority’s revenue from RM112 million this year to RM132.4 million in 2025, reflecting an 18.2 per cent increase or RM20.4 million.
On Monday (December 9), the state executive councillor for local government, tourism, and New Village development Dato’ Ng Suee Lim announced that property owners in Selangor will receive a discount of up to 75 per cent on the new assessment tax rate.
They will only have to pay 25 per cent of the total increase rate in all local authorities, starting January 1, 2025.
From January 1 onwards they will only be required to pay 25 per cent of the total increase across all local authorities.
Additionally, the assessment tax exemption for low-cost houses in Selangor will be extended for the tenth consecutive year.
The exemption involves RM60 million that should have been collected by local authorities.
Previously, Media Selangor reported that eight local authorities had not revised their assessment tax rates in the past 20 to 40 years within their administrative areas.
The Kajang Municipal Council has not raised its tax rate for the longest period, 39 years since 1985. The Kuala Langat Municipal Council has not made an increase in 37 years since 1987, while the Selayang Municipal Council has not done so in 32 years since 1992.
Meanwhile, the Subang Jaya City Council has not increased taxes in the Subang Jaya and Bandar Sunway areas for 32 years since 1992, and for USJ, Puchong, Seri Kembangan, and Serdang, for 28 years since 1996.
MPAJ and the Kuala Selangor Municipal Council have not raised their tax rates for 27 years, since 1997, while the Hulu Selangor Municipal Council has not done so for 28 years, since 1996.
Whereas the Shah Alam City Council has not imposed an assessment tax increase in 18 years, since 2006.
Based on the provisions of the Local Government Act 1976, new assessments can be made every five years or within an extended period decided by the state government.
