SANDAKAN – Owners of restaurants and eateries are upset over Sandakan Municipal Council’s (SMC) order for the premises licences to be paid in full for next year.
One restaurant owner said in the previous years, food operators here are given time to settle licence payments, which cost around RM1,000 each, depending on the size of the premises.
“Before this, we were allowed to pay once every four months. However, sources from SMC are saying that the council will require us to pay for a full year before we can have our licences renewed for 2021.”
The owner said SMC has not made an official announcement yet.
Even so, he added that council president Wong Foo Tin should inform the operators earlier so they can prepare financially.
“Our businesses are badly affected due to Covid-19. My sales have dropped 60% to 70% this year. We have rent to pay and mouths to feed,” said the operator.
He said all restaurant and food premises in the district have two licences – one trading licence that cost about RM35 per year, and another to operate food-related business, which is about RM90 per month.
He has asked for SMC to provide a 50% discount on the licence for food premises.
When asked on the lump sum licence payment, Wong said: “Do you pay or pay half of your air ticket before boarding a plane?”
He said the payment for licence renewal will only be collected next year. – The Vibes, October 26, 2020
