KUALA LUMPUR: Some of the seven technical departments involved in the issuance of certificates of fitness will be removed from the process in an attempt to reduce the number of complaints about bureaucracy, said Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting.

Under current requirements, a housing developer is obliged to obtain clearance from the Waterworks Department, Tenaga Nasional, Telekom Malaysia, Public Works Department, Fire and Rescue Department, Drainage and Irrigation Department and Town Planning Department before going to the local authorities to apply for the CF.

The local authorities will study the application and decide whether the developer had fulfilled all safety requirements and conditions.

Ong said the move to simplify the issuance process of CF was aimed at reducing red tape but assured that safety features would not be compromised.

''We are still studying the prospects of removing some of the departments not involved in the safety aspects of the house. If we do so, there will not be any compromise in safety and expertise.

''We are also looking at reducing the bureaucracy within each department,'' he told reporters after opening the National Housing and Property Summit here yesterday.

Ong, however, refused to reveal the departments expected to be axed. He said further meetings on the matter were necessary.

He said his ministry’s plan to set up a one-stop agency to integrate the seven technical departments would be discussed at the meetings and a decision was expected in three months.

On plans to colour-code housing developers based on their customer service records, Ong said the ministry had decided to shelve the idea after they found several weaknesses in it.

Source : The Star  28/3/2003