Legal smoke houses mean proper income for operators
SIBU: The move to legalise smoke houses (rumah asap) here by Sibu Rural District Council is meant to assist the operators to earn a proper and decent income.
SRDC chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai said the council, for one, would provide canopies for the operators to ensure conducive trading environment, starting with those in Sibu Jaya, he said yesterday.
He said the issuance of trading permits (to the smoke houses) would be done in stages starting with Sibu Jaya, followed by Sekuau (after certain issues are settled), and Selangau.
“The purpose of the trading permit is to ensure the operators operate legally, and that the council will monitor the cleanliness as well.
“But our main intention is to assist the operators to earn decent income as many of them are operating the business on full time basis.
“In future, they might open coffee shops or BBQ houses at proper shop houses,” he said.
There are 15 smoke houses in Sibu Jaya, 17 in Sekuau and 12 in Selangau.
The operators only pay RM2 in trading fee but no trading permit has been issued.
“The council will provide canopies to the traders in Sibu
The purpose of the trading permit is to ensure the operators operate legally, and that the council will monitor the cleanliness as well. Sempurai Petrus Ngelai, SRDC chairman
Jaya once they have been issued with a trading permit.
“As for Sekuau, the operators still want to maintain their existing structure. We will issue the trading permit once we have settled a few issues.
“The present location of ‘Rumah Asap’ in Selangau is not really suitable. Also, the whole thing is besieged by issues.
Sempurai however said the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) would upgrade the current market, and if it can accommodate them (smoke house traders) as well, we will put them there,” he said.