Fast-track nod to Penang projects
12/06/2007 The Star

PENANG: The Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) and Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) will start operating a one-stop centre from tomorrow to give fast-track approval to development projects within four months.

State Local Government, Traffic Management, Information and Community Relations Committee chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan said the one-stop centre committee would replace the planning and development divi-sion of the two councils.

“The council president will chair the committee, which com-prises officers from various tech-nical departments,” he said in a press statement yesterday.

Following the establishment of the centre, Dr Teng said, the local government would replace the Certificate of Fitness (CFO) with the Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC).

“Under the CCC, the architect or engineer of a project who submits building plan is defined as the ‘principal submitting person’ who will have to issue the CCC before occupants can take ownership of their homes,” he said.

Previously, the power to check the technical aspects of a project and issue the CFO was with the local authorities.

However, he said, the council will continue to issue CFOs for projects whose building plans have been approved before tomorrow.

He also said the state govern-ment had appointed both MPPP and MPSP presidents as Commis-sioner of Buildings to settle dis-putes and manage buildings and common properties that located within their jurisdictions.