Council to collect land rates from users of State land

Momase

By JACKLYN SIRIAS
THE Wewak urban council is keen to collect more than K5 million for land rates from organisations that use State land, town mayor Charles Malenki says.
“Forfeiture of titles and properties are likely to be done if organisations fail to pay their land rates,” he said.
“This substantial amount of K5 million dates more than 20 years back.
“However, the council would be lenient on organisations and only require them to pay rates for the past 10 years to the present.”
The Wewak town council officials are currently in Port Moresby to issue bills and collect rates from organisations like PNG Power, PNG Ports Corporation, National Housing Corporation, PNG Defence Force, Royal PNG Constabulary and other organisation that use land in the district.
Malenki said the NHC would pay nearly K2 million of the total land rates that would be collected.
Back in Wewak, the council will start collecting rates from residents in urban settlements and compounds in the province, some of which include Kreer Heights, Kreer Compound, Bronx Compound, Nuigo and others.
“Currently, we are collecting rates from known companies and residents – the faithful ones that usually pay,” Malenki said.
Each year the council collects K150 from residential property owners K5000 from business houses.
Malenki said land rates should generate about K3 million annually and if they were paid up, the council would not have to always rely on district services improvement programme funds.
He said the money collected would cater for infrastructures.