PENANG: It can take up to three years for a factory building to get the certificate of fitness (CF) as the application process involves more than 20 authorities.

During a press conference yesterday to announce an SMI forum scheduled for May 23, Penang Gerakan SMI bureau chairman Michael Heah urged the local authorities and other government agencies to be more business-friendly.

"We have received many complaints from SMIs, and even a public-listed company, about the bureaucratic process in obtaining CFs for their factories," he said.

Heah said applications for CF had to go through 10 different departments within the local authority itself – the Planning, Building, Earthworks, Road and Drainage, Internal Sanitation, Street Lighting, Urban Services, Licensing, Valuation, and Finance departments.

"The application would then have to go through the Public Works Department, and Drainage and Irrigation Department, and both would look into earthworks, road and drainage which the local council had already seen to," he said.

Heah said the application would also need to go through the Department of Environment, Penang Development Corporation if it was a PDC project, Land Office, Indah Water Konsortium, Department of Civil Aviation, Telekom Malaysia Bhd, Tenaga Nasional Bhd, Fire and Rescue Department and Penang Water Supply Corporation Sdn Bhd.

"There is too much documentation work, duplications and obscure procedures. There are many factory buildings without CF approval, and most of them are taking too long to be approved.

"This has jeopardised the chances of the SMIs and SMEs to apply for grants, licensed manufacturing warehouse status, and other loans and facilities from the government," Heah said.