THE Finance Ministry believes that the 23 existing Urban Transformation Centres (UTCs) across the country are sufficient and, as of now, there are no plans to develop a new establishment in Seberang Perai, according to Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow (PH-Padang Kota).
In a written reply to K. Kumaran (PH-Bagan Dalam) during the Q&A session at the State Legislative Assembly Session today, Chow noted the challenges and considerations that need to be taken into account when establishing a new UTC.
“We need to assess the ability of each agency to redeploy existing officers without increasing positions.
“In accordance with the regulations, the Finance Ministry must cover the refurbishment cost, upgrade the building, and allocate significant funds for office equipment.
“Once the new UTC is operational, the authorities must bear the rental costs and conduct maintenance for the office spaces.
“There are various costs that need to be considered, including utility bills, staff overtime allowances, and other relevant costs. From my understanding, the Finance Ministry is now focusing on enhancing UTC’s service for the public and advancing its digitalisation effort,” he said.
According to Chow, UTC is an initiative under the Finance Ministry that offers government services from all agencies under one roof.
“The UTC in Komtar, George Town, has been operating since August 15, 2020. Since its official opening, the establishment has served 1,211,721 people as of April 30 this year,” said Chow.
The breakdown of the number of customers is as follows: 2020 (from August) 81,771; 2021 (192,332), 2022 (346,399), 2023 (428,074), and 2024 (until April) 163,145.
In his supplementary question, Kumaran asked further about the state’s plan to provide accessibility to the Seberang Perai residents, particularly senior citizens, when performing government services.
He also mentioned he had written to the Finance Ministry about the importance of building a new UTC on Penang mainland for the convenience of the mainland residents.
In his oral reply, Chow acknowledged the necessity of providing accessibility for residents of Seberang Perai.
“In fact, we emphasise the importance of digitalisation, with a total of 23 agencies having already initiated such efforts.
“We also place a strong emphasis on ensuring the elderly in the state can benefit from the digitisation initiative.
“In Digital Penang, there are dedicated classes for senior citizens to learn how to access online applications,” he added.
Chow also mentioned that state and Federal agencies are centralised in each district in Penang for the convenience of the people. He also recalled that a Rural Transformation Centre was established in south Seberang Perai before, but it could not sustain itself.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Law Suun Ting and Ahmad Adil Muhamad