ACCCIM tells govt: Withdraw toll hike, review all toll concessions

PETALING JAYA: The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) has urged the government to thoroughly review all contracts signed with highway concessionaires, as it called for the decision to increase toll rates to be withdrawn immediately.

“ACCCIM has constantly suggested freezing and effectively controlling the prices of various public utilities and infrastructure. The announcement by the highway concessionaires obviously contradicts the government’s promise to reduce the burden of the rakyat,” it said in a statement yesterday.The body believes that concessionaires have made unreasonable demands in asking for an increase in toll rates, considering that the amount of toll charges collected well exceed the estimates the concessionaires had figured.

“ACCCIM urges the government to thoroughly review all contracts signed with highway concessionaires and put a halt to the demand by concessionaires to increase the toll rates once and for all,” it said, adding that the current practice of negotiating or paying compensation or extending the concession period every few years does not completely solve the problem.

It said many intracity tolled highways are badly congested especially during peak hours and festive seasons.

“These concessionaires are not penalised nor compelled to expand the capacities while toll collections are increasing due to merely volume growth,” it noted.In the meantime, to encourage these concessionaires to seriously upgrade their highways, tolls should be suspended if, say, motorists are required to queue for more than 5 minutes to pay toll or have to queue after paying toll, said ACCCIM.

In expressing its disapproval and objection over the unreasonable and untimely decision of raising toll rates at several highways in the country, ACCCIM said the move will affect all walks of life and severely hit the business community as well as burden the rakyat, with cost of living increasing greatly.

“At this juncture, the ACCCIM would like the decision to increase the toll rates be withdrawn immediately,” it said.It said, the government should instead introduce more business-friendly policies in order to reduce the cost of doing business, revive the economy, attract foreign direct investment and encourage consumption.-TheSunDaily