Pujut rep queries MCC’s ‘high’ expenditure for septic sludge services
MIRI: The Democratic Action Party ( DAP) is curious as to why Miri City Council ( MCC), which complains of lack of funds, spends more on septic sludge services than other councils in the state.
Pujut assemblyman Dr Ting Tiong Choon, who brought up the matter in a press conference here yesterday, said the extra spending has cost MCC an additional RM885,000 this year – money which could have been better spent on other areas.
He claimed that based on information provided by the state Sewerage Services Department, the targeted septic sludge volume for MCC in 2017 is 25,000m³.
“The cost for treatment and disposal of sludge is RM105 per m³ in Miri as calculated by the department while in Sibu, it is RM112.20 per m³.
“Why is MCC paying RM177 per m³ (nearly 70 per cent higher) to the nominated contractor? Was the contract tendered openly?”
Dr Ting said in 2016, MCC spent RM4.392 million to clean 24,638 m³ of septic sludge.
“The number of properties cleaned were 4,930, making an average sludge per property at 5.0m³. My question is why the average sludge per property in Miri is 50 per cent to 60 per cent more than properties in Sibu?”
“I urge the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to investigate the high price paid by the MCC to the contractor,” he added.