KUCHING: Eleven percent of property owners in the Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) area have yet to settle their assessment rates, said MPP Chairman Cr Tan Kai.
He revealed this at a press conference held after the full council meeting this afternoon stating that necessary steps will be taken to ensure payment which included having their property caveated.
“However, this will be the last resort as we will follow the procedure of ensuring they pay up,” he said.
The MPP area currently has 82,400 residential and commercial buildings, with residential properties making up 80 percent of the total.
Tan Kai said during the council meeting that as of June 2025, RM16 million in current assessment rates had been collected, marking a 58.06 percent collection rate. This represents an improvement from the 57.47 percent recorded during the same period in 2024, indicating ongoing efforts by the Council to improve revenue collection and encourage public cooperation.
He also noted an increase of RM189,000 in arrears collection compared to the same period last year.
To improve collection, MPP has introduced several proactive measures, including mobile payment counters, door-to-door visits, monthly reminders via SMS and email, follow-up calls, and reminder notices.
Tan reminded residents that assessment rate payments are essential to help the Council maintain services and build a sustainable Padawan.
Payments can be made at all MPP counters, Service Sarawak counters (including UTC Kuching, Sibu, and Miri), DBKU, MBKS, Pos Malaysia Berhad, and H&L Supermarkets. Online payment options are also available through the Service Sarawak website, the S Pay Global App (formerly Sarawak Pay), and the PayBills Malaysia website.
He urged ratepayers who have not received their bills or have misplaced them to visit the MPP counter at Kota Padawan or any Service Sarawak counter to update their contact information and request a digital copy.
By Connie Chieng