I READ with interest your article dated Aug 6 2010 and the subsequent reply from MBPJ on Aug 9.
As I’m an interested party in this matter, I would like to enlighten the public on what is really happening.
Your article highlighted the issue of the council’s inaction with regards to the illegal billboards and the mushrooming of new ones since the PR government came into power.
People who used to attack the previous administration over the “licence for contribution to the football club” have suddenly decided to legalise those “illegal billboards” after coming into power.
The chairman of this so called licencing committee should come out to explain this questionable act instead of issuing statements through the MBPJ PR department.
The response from the MBPJ digressed from the issues raised in the article.
Instead they focused on an entirely different matter. It was untrue to say that two companies refused to accept their offer and are lobbying certain quarters to legalise their billboards thus projecting them as unscrupulous.
Their insinuation gives the public the perception that the billboard industry is profiteering from occupying public land.
Why do they not impose the 30% licence fees on other businesses operating on TOL land but single us out instead.
The outdoor advertising industry has been badly perceived because of the action of some unscrupulous operators like what happened in the “licence for contribution to football club”.
There is a misconception that the billboard industry is extremely lucrative. Like any other business it is an industry that is open to anyone who wishes to participate.
There are no restrictions except in cases where the local councils have given out monopolies.
Even then, you can rent them from the monopoly holder if you have clients who wish to engage your services for advertising.
We contribute almost RM5 million a year to the country in terms of service tax, EPF, Socso, income tax, corporate tax when we make profits, licence fees and TOL.
Many local authorities are so carried away with the misconception that we are making a lot of money and apply rates according to what they believe we earn.
They do not understand that businesses have many other costs.
Moreover, they should not frown upon companies making profit as a crime.
