Government Of M'sia Committed To Modernise Regulatory Framework Of Construction Permits

KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 (Bernama) -- The government of Malaysia is committed to modernise regulatory framework of construction permits, and other regulations to make Malaysia a better place to do business, said Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Sidek Hassan. Mohd Sidek said the World Bank Doing Business Report 2012 for overall initiatives ranked Malaysia in 18th position this year from 23rd position in 2011, but showed a decline in Dealing with Construction Permits which dropped to 113th from 111th position last year. "We need a new model and a radical change in the construction permits framework that protect public health, safety and environment while promoting economic growth, innovation, competitiveness and job creation. "The new model also must ensure that laws, guidelines and code practices are accessible, consistent, written in plain language and easy to understand," he said when officiating the Public Consultation on New Model to Improve Efficiency in Dealing with Construction Permits in Kuala Lumpur, here Tuesday. He said several key issues were identified in a recently conducted focus group to understand the existing regulatory burden on business in getting approvals for construction permits in this country. "They are too many interactions between a business and authorities, long processing time by authorities in issuing permits and high fees charged by authorities," he said. Among the proposals made by professional bodies and stakeholders at the public consultation programme was the setting up of a one-stop centre for construction permits and online services to reduce physical interaction and bureaucracy. -- BERNAMA