Negri has submitted application to SPAN to review domestic water rates, says MB
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun ( pic ) said an increase was necessary to enable state water concessionaire Syarikat Air Negri Sembilan (SAINS) to continue operating.
He said the recent increase in water tariffs would add to SAINS' operating expenditure.
"We are proposing a marginal increase for households as we need to understand that SAINS' operating costs will surely go up with the increase in tariffs.
"SAINS has also been giving some form of subsidy for a certain percentage of water usage and it has to increase water rates marginally to enable it to continue its operations," he said.
Aminuddin said a slight increase was also justified as about RM20mil annually is used to replace old and broken pipes in the state.
He said SAINS also had to spend money to repair and upgrade water tanks to ensure supply in some areas is not disrupted.
He also said more funds would be needed for more water tanks in areas with water supply issues.
Aminuddin said the state would apply for a RM100mil allocation from the Federal Government to improve the water supply network in the state.
"This is over and above the allocation set aside by SAINS," he said, adding that he hoped consumers would understand that the proposal to increase water tariffs was not to enrich Sains but to allow it to continue operating and provide quality water supply.
Last week, SPAN said it had received applications from 10 states to review their water tariff rates.
SPAN is empowered by the Water Services Industry Act 2006 to regulate and monitor the economic, technical, and social aspects of the water supply and sewerage services industry in Peninsular Malaysia, Putrajaya and Labuan.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Negeri Sembilan empowers women in leadership roles across sectors
SEREMBAN: The Negeri Sembilan government continues to create opportunities for women to assume strategic roles at all levels, from villages to state administration. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun emphasised that women should champion public concerns on critical issues like education, healthcare, housing, and the environment. 'Women bring empathy, transparency, and diligence to governance. Their role as educators and shapers of future generations must be strengthened, as they are the primary educators within families and communities,' he said during the launch of Wanita MADANI Inspirasi (WADANI) Negeri Sembilan. Aminuddin highlighted that WADANI should recognise women as social drivers and community activists. 'They create change by engaging with communities, raising awareness, and fostering attitude shifts, not just through assistance,' he added. He expressed hope that WADANI would equip women with communication and empathy skills, enabling them to effectively address societal issues. 'We want women to lead social change, empower families, drive community economies, and become moral pillars in challenging times,' he said. - Bernama
Barnama
2 days ago
- Barnama
N. Sembilan Promotes Women In Leadership Positions Across Sectors
SEREMBAN, July 26 (Bernama) -- The Negeri Sembilan government has consistently created opportunities for women to take on strategic roles, ranging from the village level to local authorities, the public sector, and state administration. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun said women should be the voice of public concerns on key issues such as education, healthcare, housing, and the environment. Their leadership brings empathy, transparency, and diligence to governance. 'Furthermore, the role of women as educators and shapers of future generations must be strengthened, as they are the primary educators within families and communities," he said during the launch of Wanita MADANI Inspirasi (WADANI) Negeri Sembilan here today.
The Star
4 days ago
- The Star
CGC targets mid-tier companies to provide ease of access to bank loans
KUALA LUMPUR: Mid-tier companies (MTCs) – often overlooked in the financing landscape – are getting a targeted boost through an enhanced credit guarantee scheme by Credit Guarantee Corp Malaysia Bhd (CGC), designed to ease their access to bank loans, especially for growth-stage firms lacking collateral. Launched on Feb 25, the BizJamin/-i MTC scheme is CGC's dedicated programme for MTCs, offering credit guarantees of up to RM20mil per customer with total group exposure limit of up to RM60mil. The scheme supports a wide range of facilities, including term loans, trade lines and revolving credit, with guarantee cover of up to 80% and tenures of up to 15 years. In a recent enhancement to the scheme, CGC provides guarantee for unsecured financing of between RM1mil and RM5mil – a move aimed at further easing access to funding for growth-stage MTCs that may lack sufficient collateral. 'MTCs often operate as the unsung heroes of our economy,' CGC chief business officer Sean Tan said at the CGC mid-tier momentum 2025 forum yesterday. MTCs – defined as entities generating between RM50mil and RM500mil in revenue for manufacturers, and RM20mil to RM500mil for service providers – represented only 0.8% of all registered businesses and they contributed 36% of Malaysia's gross domestic product. 'Many are on the cusp of regional or international expansion, yet they frequently encounter hurdles in scaling up, especially when it comes to accessing adequate financing,' he said. To address this, he said CGC launched the BizJamin/-i MTC scheme which is backed by 28 financial institutions. 'This is about enabling access, particularly for those in the 'missing middle' –companies too large for typical small and medium enterprise schemes but not yet sizeable for corporate credit standards,' Tan pointed out. Malaysian Consortium of Mid-Tier Companies honorary president Callum Chen said the financing gap remains a key barrier for MTCs to grow. 'MTCs need more support. The myth is that MTCs don't need support,' he said. 'Without the funds, without the support from the banks, how can we grow?' According to Chen, a scheme like this not only helps mid-tier businesses, but creates ripple effects across the broader economy. 'When mid-tier companies expand, we bring in more foreign exchange, create more employment and pay more taxes,' he said. Meanwhile, Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing vice-president Datuk Noraini Soltan said the capital-intensive nature of the manufacturing sector makes access to financing critical – not just for efficiency, but also to stay competitive globally. 'Many of our members are exporters. They need improved access to affordable financing to initiate environmental, social and governance or ESG efforts to meet supply chain compliance,' she said during a panel discussion titled 'Innovative financing: Leveraging bank and CGC support for business growth'. 'They're ready to do their part, but lack the financial muscle to get started.' She called for financial tools tailored to MTC profiles and simplified access frameworks. 'Working capital is currently under severe strain. Leveraging CGC's guarantee scheme can be transformative – especially for companies investing in sustainability or gearing up for future shocks.' CIMB Bank Bhd group commercial banking head of SME banking Jaya Balan Kathiravalu said mid-tier companies, while not often discussed, are very much part of the banking ecosystem. 'If you look at the SME setup, we talk about micro, small and medium – but there's still a portion we don't talk a lot about, which is the MTCs. And that's actually a big 25% to 30% for banks,' he said. He added that banks are already organised to support the segment. 'Within the bank, we have dedicated teams for micro, small, medium and large businesses. So there's no shortage of focus in driving growth across all core segments. 'For the country to grow, all portions of the business must grow as an ecosystem,' he said, adding that businesses should also invest more in research and development to stay competitive and avoid losing market share. Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd group institutional banking director of commercial client solutions Ahmad Haliman Abdul Halim said the current environment offers a reset moment for MTCs. 'We see this not just as a hurdle but a catalyst for MTCs to strengthen resilience and pursue new purpose-driven growth,' he said. 'That includes investing in digitalisation, ESG compliance and operational excellence to move up the value chain.' CGC, established in 1972 to assist micro SMEs with inadequate or without collateral to get loans from banks by providing guarantees, is 78.65%-owned by Bank Negara and 21.35% owned by the commercial banks in Malaysia. As of June 2025, CGC has provided over 540,000 guarantees and financing to MSMEs valued at over RM100bil since its inception.
