New building cert in April
12/02/2007 The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC) is expected to be implemented in April to replace the existing Certificate of Fitness for Occupancy (CFO).

Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would make an announcement on the CCC in April.

He said his ministry was now finalising the regulations and other details before sending the file on the CCC to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for it to be gazetted.

“We have to go through a lot of procedures before the CCC can officially replace the CFO.

“We are now briefing local authorities and departments on the changes and the role of each (Government) agency,” he said.

The CCC was one of the amendments made under the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 to give better protection to housebuyers.

Under the amendments, the architect or engineer of a project who is defined as the “principal submitting person” will have to issue the CCC before occupants could move into their buildings.

At present, the power to check the technical aspects of a project and issue the CFO is with the local authorities.

The amendments were passed in Parliament last December together with amendments made in five other related Acts under the Works Ministry and the Environment and Natural Resources Ministry.

Ong said the CCC would help speed up development projects if developers adhered to all the regulations set by the Government.

As such, he said, developers would not be able to blame any delay on bureaucracy.

“But it is not just for the sake of speed. Developers have to adhere to rules for the sake of the safety (of occupants),” he said before handing out hampers and ang pows to poor families at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa here yesterday.

A total of 470 families received a hamper with RM400 cash each while their children each received a RM20 ang pow.

Earlier, he took 706 children from Chinese schools in Selangor and the Federal Territory on a ride on the Eye on Malaysia ferris wheel.