Month: July 2022

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 (Bernama) — The Free Trade Zone (WBB) initiative for the KL Prihatin Temporary Licence programme which ended yesterday will continue until Dec 31 with several improvements introduced starting this month.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) said among the improvements included payment of licence fees, setting business operating hours and arranging or relocating hawkers to address issues such as traffic barriers, cleanliness and construction of permanent structures.

The local authority said each hawker would be charged a licence renewal fee of RM20 per month and a service charge of RM30 per month to cover the cost of cleaning and management work.

“Business operating hours are limited to two sessions instead of the whole day to control the situation at the site and to facilitate cleaning work.

“Traders can choose only one session subject to the suitability of the location, either session one which starts at 7 am to 7 pm or session two which starts at 6 pm to 12 midnight,” according to DBKL in a statement, today.

According to DBKL, KL Prihatin Temporary Licence holders are given a period from now until July 15 to submit a renewal application online through the DBKL website or submit them at the Central Licence Counter of the Licensing and Business Development Department.

The status of their application can be checked at https://elesen.dbkl.gov.my/ from Aug 1 to Aug 15 and the licensee is required to pay the licence and printing fees if approved.

However, DBKL said the renewal of wet goods business activity licence is not allowed and traders are required to submit applications for the open market, morning market, night market and DBKL market or change their type of sale by Sept 30.

Regarding the restructuring and relocation of hawkers, hawkers at the location involved in complaints or harassment will be relocated subject to vacancies such as at the Hawker Centre; DBKL Market; existing night markets or open markets at locations approved by DBKL.

“Improvements have been made to ensure that the WBB programme can be continued holistically for the long term to ensure that problems can be resolved so that city dwellers and traders can benefit together in the Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family),” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 (Bernama) — Consumers are expected to be able to access 5G network in stages, latest by September (2022), said Communications and Multimedia Minister (MenKOMM) Tan Sri Annuar Musa.

He said as of 1 pm yesterday, the sixth company had signed the agreement to take up equity in Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB).

Annuar said the six companies concerned had agreed to hold equity in DNB and the agreement would be followed by final negotiations on the price and so on.

“So the first phase has been resolved and at least six companies would be given the opportunity to carry out their due diligence as well as the evaluation method for the purpose of actual rollout implementation and DNB learned it may take between one to two months.

“Hopefully, in another week, by July 8, it would be formalised by the signing of certain documents, then they would be given a period to conduct due diligence so that at the latest by September, consumers can receive the rollout of 5G service in stages according to the area and the infrastructure set up earlier by DNB,” he said here today.

He was asked to comment at Meeting with MenKOMM and Briefing on 5G Implementation by the Ministry of Finance, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and DNB earlier today.

Annuar said he was happy because the rollout was delayed for several months due to appeal on determination of the Single Wholesale Network (SWN) model to be changed and now there is a solution that is accepted by all parties.

Yesterday, Annuar said that six telecommunications companies are expected to hold equity interests in DNB for the implementation of the country’s 5G infrastructure through the Single Wholesale Network (SWN) model.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 (Bernama) — The Special Taskforce on Jihad Against Inflation will have discussions next week to encourage all outlets, grocery stores and shopping malls to hold cheap sales campaigns, Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said.

As chairman of the taskforce, he said if all parties launched mass sales campaigns, it would help consumers manage their expenditure better.

“So if the sales campaigns can be held if traders are not too greedy or concerned about their self-interests as they are capable of conducting these campaigns. So it doesn’t have to wait till the end of the year,” he said after checking out the prices of food at the International Islamic University of Malaysia in Gombak today.

He said the taskforce was planning for the sales to begin in August or September and would negotiate with many more parties to conduct sales to help consumers offset the rising prices of products.

“So this way the government can bear a little, consumers can bear a little because the hike is controlled, sellers can bear a little. This is the spirit of Keluarga Malaysia to tackle inflation. If we can do this, overall we can control inflation,” he said.

He had earlier also checked the price of food at Universiti Malaya here together with Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.

Meanwhile, Annuar said overall the taskforce would continue to urge producers and traders not to raise their prices indiscriminately.

In the instance of chicken prices, he said he understood why prices were rising due to costs but it should not be too high as it was a controlled item that was borne by the government.

“So it is hoped that traders can cooperate with consumers to not deliberately hike prices too high, which can cause inflation.

“I don’t deny production costs at all levels, like vegetables, meat and fish have risen but costs that are passed on to consumers are not commensurate with the rising costs. So if we do not raise prices on purpose, we are helping to reduce the inflation rate, that’s what I mean,” he said.

On allegations that food prices at eateries at universities have risen, Annuar said he found it did occur but not at such a high rate, but he was of the view that traders need to make an effort not to raise prices.

He said he congratulated the Higher Education Ministry for taking the initiative to launch the Foodbank programme that was still ongoing but a large part of foodbanks were distributing dry goods.

“Of this Foodbank, the goods, we provided them to cafeteria operators for instance, they can cook it and provide food at low and cheap prices, so that might be a way we can reduce students’ expenditure instead of distributing dry goods.

“Secondly, we will negotiate with the Higher Education Minister (Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad) and she will review how far and if we can provide incentives to cafeteria operators,” he said.

Two days ago, media outlets reported that rising inflation throughout the country had impacted students as university cafeterias and cooperative shops began raising prices of food and sundries, with some of them selling above market prices.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency