TAIPING – The Taiping Zoo and Night Safari, here, is expected to record losses of RM500,000 to RM600,000 during the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) from November 9 to December 6.
Taiping Municipal Council (MPT) president Khairul Amir Mohamad Zubir said the loss would be due to the decline of up to 95% in ticket sales.
“The decline is very significant as there are only 20 to 30 visitors daily,” he told a media conference after chairing a MPT meeting, here, today.
He said, however, the RM150,000 cost in animal care a month could still be borne, along with operational costs and employees’ salaries of RM350,000 to RM400,000 a month.
He said MPT would conduct repairs of roofs, upgrade the hornbill and eagle enclosures and snake exhibit, at a cost of RM1.8 million, in January next year through a project financed by the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan).
Besides the allocation, Perhilitan had also provided assistance for animal food for the past four months since August until November to reduce the zoo’s burden.
Khairul Amir said the state government had also allocated RM150,000 for upgrading the toilets and fans in the zoo.
In other developments, Khairul Amir said MPT would increase the rate of compounds for parking offences from RM20 to RM30 for offences in parking lots and the RM50 rate would be increased to RM60 for offences outside parking lots under the MPT Road Transport Order (Parking Lot Allocation) 2004 from January 1 next year.
MPT would also implement a 50% reduction of compound offer from Dec 1 till Dec 31 for offences under the Local Government Act 1976 (Act 171), the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Act 133) and the MPT Road Transport Order (Parking Lot Allocation) 2004.
The reduction of compounds, however, do not include cases in the process of prosecution and offences under the Public Cleanliness (MPT) By-Laws 1984. – Bernama, November 30, 2020
