Settle long-overdue bills or face CTOS, assessment rate defaulters warned

MIRI: The Miri City Council ( MCC) has decided to submit the names of property assessment rate defaulters with long- overdue bills, to CTOS – the nation’s key credit reporting agency ( CRA) – by next year.

Miri Mayor Adam Yii said the council had no choice but to take stern action after several efforts towards reducing the high amount of outstanding assessment payment had been ineffective.

He also pointed out that MCC’s doors would always be open for the defaulters, particularly those unable to settle the outstanding amount in lump sum, to find ways to address the situation.

“The efforts ( to facilitate the payment of outstanding assessments) including caveat on their properties and legal action, seem meaningless to them.

“That’s why the MCC has decided to submit the names of the defaulters to CTOS by next year,” he told reporters during MCC’s ‘ Meet-the- People’ session at E- Mart Riam here yesterday.

Yii said some of the property owners could not be traced – a few had not even updated the data of their latest properties with the council. It is estimated some 20 per cent of ratepayers in the city still owe MCC millions of ringgit.

“Hopefully through this stern action, all ratepayers – particularly the defaulters would be more serious and committed in settling their assessment bills.

“Otherwise, the defaulters have to face the music for their reluctance in settling the outstanding amount. Should their names get blacklisted on the CTOS, it would create problems for them in applying for other loans later on.”

On this concern, Yii reminded the defaulters to come to MCC counters at Miri Urban Transformation Centre ( UTC) to settle their outstanding assessment bills immediately.