‘Local council failed to collect RM38 mln owed by ratepayers’
KUCHING: A local council has been found to have accumulated an uncollected amount of RM38 million in overdue debts from ratepayers, said Datuk Dr Juanda Jaya.
The Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Integrity and Ombudsman) said the amount was accumulated over a period of more than 20 years.
He said he had briefed the matter to Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg during a courtesy call by the Cabinet Special Committee on Financial Statements and Annual Budget Estimates for Sarawak Statutory Bodies and Local Authorities (Capcom) at Wisma Bapa Malaysia, here Tuesday.
“The Premier suggested that agencies involved in the collection of overdue debts like this to create a better regulatory system, inform creditors to pay debts and, if necessary, take legal action,” he said in a Sarawak Public Communications Unit report.
Juanda said that during the courtesy call, Capcom had also recommended that governmentlinked companies (GLCs) with too many inactive subsidiaries review the regulation of their agencies to ensure the financial management of the GLCs is efficient.
In this regard, Abang Johari suggested monthly reports from each agency on their respective expenses, he added.
Also present during the courtesy visit was State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki.
The Premier suggested that agencies involved in the collection of overdue debts like this to create a better regulatory system, inform creditors to pay debts and, if necessary, take legal action.
Datuk Dr Juanda Jaya