Pemudah List Of Achievements

BERNAMA, 29 February, 2008.

PUTRAJAYA, Following are among major achievements in improving Malaysia's competitiveness contained in the 2007 Pemudah Annual Report launched today:

Tax and Stamp Duty Assessment Matters

* Reducing the time taken to refund excess taxes from a year to between 14 and 30 days for cases submitted through e-Filing;

* Refunding excess taxes for current year's assessment without referring previous years' assessments;

* Refunding excess taxes without the taxpayers applying for it; and

* Reducing the time taken to process stamp duty assessment for land transfer from between 26 and 86 days involving five steps to between 10 and 16 days with five steps.

Land Matters

* The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry reducing the time and processes taken with regard to land matters;

* Reducing the time taken to process land management and tackling approval backlogs; and

* Amending 47 provisions under the National Land Code for better land management.

Immigration Matters

* Issuing new passport within an hour or a day;

* Processing expatriate employment pass application within seven days;

* Extending the work permit of expatriates from two years to five years each renewal;

* Opening executive counter for expatriates at all Immigration offices;

* Providing expatriate employment pass application form online; and

* Extending the Professional Visit Pass validity to six months from three months.

Local Government and Development Matters

* Professionals issuing the Certificate of Completion and Compliance in place of Certificate of Fitness for Occupation;

* Setting up 103 one-stop centres to consider development applications involving land matters, planning approval and land work planning;

* Approving high impact projects, government projects and build-then-sell concept projects within 120 days;

* Approving other projects within six months;

* Reducing the time taken to process the Environmental Impact Assessment Report from three months to five weeks; and

* Reducing the time taken for Safety and Health Licence approval.