ACCCIM Hopes Govt Will Keep Gas Price & Hold Back BTS Proposal

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 (Bernama) -- The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) hopes the government will maintain the natural gas price at the current level to retain the nation’s competitiveness.

Its president Tan Sri William Cheng said that if the current natural gas price was increased, it would be the highest as compared to other gas-producing countries and it would also spike production cost.

"Although foreign investors have shown interest in our Economic Transformation Programme, there is high concern about production cost," he said at the launching of the chamber''s Socio-Economic Research Centre (SERC) by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak here today.

Cheng also highlighted the issue of "build-then-sell" (BTS) concept, made mandatory for the domestic housing industry from 2015.

"This is a matter of serious concern to housing developers, in particular, the small-and medium-sized industry players as many cannot afford to implement the BTS concept due to financial constraints," said Cheng.

The chambers opined that Malaysia cannot import wholesale the BTS concept currently practised in advanced nations as developers there were not required to subsidise the construction of low-cost housing, he said.

Cheng also said housing units reserved for Bumiputeras be kept for six months to one year and if the units were still not taken up during the period, the developers be allowed to sell them.

He proposed to the federal government to open up more land in collaboration with state governments for agriculture farming to tide over with spiralling food prices which have resulted in higher inflation.

He also urged the government to revive the mining sector by issuing more licences to the business fraternity for tin ore prospecting to take advantage of the growing demand for mineral resources. -- BERNAMA

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