PETALING JAYA: Utility problem, apart from financial problems facing developers, has been identified as one of the factors for 95 private housing projects in the country to be left abandoned or not completed within the stipulated period,

Deputy Minister of Local Government Development (KPKT) Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said the utility problem involved electricity supply connection, sewerage system, water supply, road and drainage facilities.

He said this was identified through a detailed tracking of the data of licensed housing projects carried out during the first quarter of this year.

"So to ensure proactive action at the KPKT level, we will hold discussions with the relevant agencies to find the best solution to resolve the problems," he told a press conference on problematic and abandoned private housing projects at the headquarters of the 1Malaysia People's Housing Programme (PR1MA) here today.

According to him, a total of 80 private housing projects that were categorized as "sick" had been completed and issued the Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC) from Dec 31 last year until last March 31.

He said the work progress on the construction of another 12 projects was now back according to schedule.

"This brings the total number of housing projects that have been removed from the list of sick projects for the first quarter of this year to 92 with a value of about RM5 billion," he added.

As for projects handled by PR1MA, Akmal Nasrullah said eight projects had been completed and issued the CCC up to April 30, almost reaching the target of 10 out of 20 sick projects set by the ministry to be completed this year.

Regarding the injection of RM29 million in funds allocated through the 2023 Budget to restore sick and abandoned housing projects, he said the ministry's Task Force on Private and Abandoned Housing Projects would focus on rehabilitating housing projects costing below RM300,000 per unit which are nearing completion.

-- BERNAMA