GEORGE TOWN: A report will be prepared on Penang’s land taxation problems and submitted to DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook following a three-party meeting on the issue, says Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
The meeting on the state’s land tax matters, which took effect on Jan 1, involved Loke, DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng and Chow.
It follows Loke’s denouncement of the public dispute between Chow and Lim, who is also Penang's former chief minister, over the revised quit rent rates.
In a Facebook post, Chow said he appreciated Loke's move to convene the meeting and would comply with instructions to refrain from discussing the matter to avoid negative perceptions affecting DAP, its leadership and the state government.
He added that affected landowners should continue to file appeals with the relevant authorities.
Loke previously said the party’s central leadership was concerned over the disagreement between the two leaders, describing it as unhealthy amid current geopolitical and economic uncertainties.
He said while a review of land taxation rates in Penang was needed to ensure the state’s financial sustainability, the approach should be balanced.
He added that taxes for educational institutions, including public schools, should remain nominal.
The state government had implemented the revised rates following a review and the gazettement of rural to urban land under Section 101 of the National Land Code, which came into force on Jan 1.
The revision affects nearly 230,000 first-grade land titles across Penang, granted during the colonial days, and does not specify land use, which affects taxation rates.
Some landowners had been paying taxes as low as RM20 for generations despite the fact that factories and retail shops had been built on their land over the decades.
