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KUCHING: Traders, especially Bumiputera entrepreneurs, have been told to seize the opportunity for more business with the construction of the new Kubah Ria business complex.
The project, which is in a strategic location directly opposite the present Kubah Ria food stalls and next to the riverbank, is developed by Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC).
SEDC chairman Datuk Talib Zulpilip said the new Kubah Ria project will provide a more competitive business environment and a new form of retail experience for shoppers when it is fully completed.
“The new Kubah Ria project will consist of a mixture of retail shoplots and foodstalls including a bank, clinic, seafood outlets and so on.
“As for foodstall operators, tenants will be charged with a rental of RM160 per month. Retailers who want to conduct business on the ground floor of the complex will be charged a fee of RM450, and RM250 for an upstairs retail shop.
“This rate charged is much lower than the market rate to encourage business opportunists especially Bumiputera entrepreneurs to do business here,” Talib told reporters at the new Kubah Ria project site yesterday.
He said the new Kubah Ria project, which consists of 44 units of foodstalls, 47 units of retail shops, including one restaurant, prayer room, eating area, courtyard activity area and a riverbank activity area, will also have a bus lay-by area with designated parking spaces – all to be ready by March next year (2010).
He also said the terms of the fees will be subjected for review from time to time.
He stressed that applications will be granted to business owners who conduct their businesses not less than 12 hours a day and seven days a week.
“If there are business owners who close their operations for a consecutive seven days, their permit will be withdrawn.
“This is to ensure that all the tenants there are really serious in doing their business,” said Talib who referred to some operators who operates their business on irregular hours.
He said SEDC will monitor the business operation of the tenants frequently.
When asked on the number of applications for the shoplots, he said SEDC had received quite a lot of applications from the public and that the award for the shoplots will be conducted through casting of lots.
The new Kubah Ria project is to provide an alternative for the present foodstalls operators at Kubah Ria which the state government will take back to make way for other developments when their lease expires this year.
Talib also said that priority will be given to the 25 current operators and those who have settled their lease payment.
The new Kubah Ria project is estimated to cost about RM16 million and is due for completion in March 2010.
Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Industrial Development (Promotion and Development of Industrial Estates) Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman said the relocation of the existing Kubah Ria business premises to a new location will benefit the entrepreneurs.
“The current business premises is not very pleasant and it is not very safe as the current Kubah Ria food stalls are being operated quite close to the road. In terms of hygiene, people are expecting better control of cleanliness.
“We need to change the approach in doing business nowadays to suit the current trend of the market. Currently, consumer’s pattern has changed and they prefer to go to hypermarkets and supermarkets,” said Daud.
Daud also said the new Kubah Ria project will be turned into a one-stop shopping centre.
“The new Kubah Ria project will be more vibrant and will provide better quality of services to consumers. This will provide shoppers with a more satisfying and enjoyable experience,” Daud said.
He also said the food stall operators of the new Kubah Ria project will need to apply for halal certification. Borneo Post
07/07/2009
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