Local Government Development Ministry committed to making Madani Economy a success

PUTRAJAYA - The Local Government Development Ministry will, among others, focus on the issue of affordable home ownership for those without fixed income, such as gig economy workers, business owners, traders and small entrepreneurs.

The ministry said this will be done through Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme (SJKP) involving guaranteed financing up to 120 per cent, including deposit and insurance payments.

"The government has provided up to RM5 billion worth of loans that will benefit 20,000 borrowers, especially first-time house buyers,” the ministry said in a statement today regarding its agenda to make the MADANI Economy a success.

On July 27, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim presented the ‘MADANI Economy: Empowering the People’ initiative aimed at boosting the Malaysian economy to bring revenue spillover to the people to enable them to enjoy a better quality of life.

The ministry said the ministry’s other agenda to make the MADANI Economy a success includes empowering small traders through MyKiosk, ensuring ease of doing business through the one-stop centre (OSC) 3.0 Plus procedure and providing guidelines for electric vehicles (EV) charging stations.

The ministry said the MyKiosk initiative was introduced to improve the socio-economic status of local residents by providing a uniform, safe, environmentally friendly and comfortable business space to traders at a low kiosk rental rate.

The ministry has also allocated RM50 million to build and upgrade 3,000 stalls and kiosks equipped with solar panels nationwide to enable hawkers and petty traders to do business comfortably.

"The MyKiosk initiative gives priority to the B40 group and relocation of traders, a rental exemption for the first six months and rental rates not exceeding RM300 per month,” it said.

In a bid to improve the process and procedure of the Planning Permission Development Plan, the Local Government Development Ministry, through the Local Government Department, has established the PBT Transformation Committee - "Ease of Doing Business”.

"One of the matters that will be prioritised under the upgrading initiative is a study to reduce and shorten the duration of the planning permission application process set in the OSC 3.0 Plus system,” it said.

The ministry, through the Town and Country Planning Department (PLANMalaysia), is finalising the Electric Vehicle Charging Station (EVCS) Planning Guidelines and the EVCS Development Approval Procedure to support the government’s goal to accelerate the achievement of 10,000 EV charging stations by 2025.

This includes fire safety aspects in the guidelines for the installation of EVCS in premises provided by the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), it said. - BERNAMA