Article: Incentive plans for going green

Tuesday July 28, 2009

MIRI: The Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry is working with the Finance Ministry on the proposal to give tax and tariff incentives to companies and households for "green initiatives" to help reduce environmental pollution.

Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui said he would also consult Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is the Finance Minister 1, on the details soon.

"These incentives are meant to encourage more people to 'go green'. Being green does not just mean recycling materials for reuse. Being green also means reducing electricity usage by adopting more energy-saving devices and methods of operation.

"There are so many socio-economic sectors which can adopt green ways and we (the ministry) feel that if we can offer attractive incentives, more people will go green," he said in an interview.

Chin, who is Miri MP, said that among the incentives being proposed are double-taxation deductions and lower electricity tariffs.

He said companies, factories or households which implement measures to reduce air-conditioning usage, reduce consumption of fuel and reduce pollution emission would be evaluated and given the appropriate incentives for their efforts.

"For example, if public transportation companies changed their petrol or diesel engines to natural gas, this will reduce pollution.

"These companies will be rewarded with double-taxation deductions.

"If factories manage to reduce their electricity usage by using energy-saving devices, they will also get these tax incentives and even reduced electricity tariffs," he added.

Chin said even the small-scale industries, such as the food processing ones, could go greener and be rewarded.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 28 July 2009