AMPANG JAYA, June 23 — Approximately 1,438 traders renting premises and facilities owned by the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) will benefit from a 30 per cent rental reduction for six months, from July to December, under Phase Two of the Selangor Resilience Enhancement Package (SREP).
Its Deputy President Hasrolnizam Shaari said they are prepared to absorb a reduction in revenue of approximately RM105,000 per month from its previous monthly rental collection of RM351,000 in order to ease the burden on traders and stimulate local economic activity.
“We have already conducted a preliminary review. At MPAJ, there are 1,438 premises and facilities utilised by traders, generating monthly rental collections of RM351,000.
“Following the announcement, we will provide a reduction amounting to RM105,000 per month. Over six months, this comes to around RM600,000.
"We are delighted with this initiative and hope it will help traders become more active and competitive, ultimately enabling them to provide better services to the community,” he said.
Hasrolnizam was speaking to the media after the opening ceremony of the Ampang Jaya Education Convention, officiated by the Education Minister's Political Secretary Rozzana Zainal Abidin at the MPAJ Convention Centre today.
He added that although the measure would result in the council losing approximately RM600,000 in revenue over six months, the long-term benefits to the community and local economy would be far greater.
“MPAJ views this from a holistic perspective. While we may forgo RM600,000 in revenue, stronger community development and a more resilient micro-business sector will benefit everyone.
“From the standpoint of cooperation and community development, when local communities and micro-businesses perform well, it also helps the council in other areas, including social harmony, public well-being, and smoother governance.
“As traders grow and governance becomes more efficient, it also helps reduce the need for enforcement measures and makes monitoring processes easier,” Hasrolnizam said.
On Friday (June 19), Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari announced that the state government would offer a 30 per cent reduction in rental rates for local authority-owned premises for six months, from July to December, to help traders cope with the impact of the global supply and energy crisis.
The initiative, introduced under SREP's Phase Two, would involve all 12 local authorities in the state and is expected to benefit an estimated 21,234 traders.
He noted that the state government has allocated RM4.5 million for the initiative, which will be provided automatically without requiring traders to submit any application.
SREP, tabled by Amirudin during the Selangor State Legislative Assembly's special sitting recently, was introduced as the state government’s response to the global energy and supply crisis triggered by conflict in West Asia.
Through the package, it has implemented several intervention measures to help the public and business sector address rising costs caused by supply chain disruptions and uncertainty in global energy markets.
