Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) will appoint 200 staff as assessment tax agents to expedite collection of RM193mil in arrears.
Johor Baru mayor Datuk Mohd Haffiz Ahmad (pic) said the outstanding amount as of July 31 was a significant figure that required more structured, firm and continuous action by the city council.
“The agents, appointed starting Sept 1, will educate property owners on their responsibility to pay assessment tax, as well as contact those with outstanding payments by telephone.
“This approach is not solely about enforcement action, but also to give taxpayers facing difficulties an opportunity to seek clarification and discuss ways to settle their arrears,” he said at MBJB’s full board meeting.
Mohd Haffiz said the 200 agents would not collect payments from taxpayers.
“All payment matters must be made through the official channels provided by MBJB including the MyBill application, which allows payments to be made at any time without having to visit the council’s counters.”
He urged property owners to pay their assessment tax within the stipulated period, adding that failure to do so could result in enforcement as well as legal action.
He said MBJB no longer sent physical assessment tax bills to property owners’ homes, advising taxpayers to ensure their particulars are updated and retrieve their assessment tax bills through the self-service function on the MyBill application.
“Paying assessment tax is not only a responsibility of property owners, but also an important contribution towards enabling MBJB to continue providing services, maintain public facilities and safeguard the well-being and quality of life of residents in Johor Baru,” he said.
