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KOTA KINABALU: City Hall (DBKK) has defended reinstating original licence fee rates under the Kota Kinabalu City (Hotels and Lodging Houses) By-laws 1966, citing the need for city development.

Mayor Datuk Seri Sabin Samitah clarified that the rates, first imposed in 1966 and scrapped in 1989, have not increased but merely returned to their original levels.

Responding to backlash from hoteliers, he noted that two- and three-star hotels only need to pay RM1.60 per room daily and are exempt if rooms are vacant.

He stressed that revenue is essential for upgrading work, including cleanliness and waste management, as DBKK continues to bear the cost of maintaining public hygiene.

As of Jan 15, over 50 per cent of hotel operators have paid their fees since the law took effect on Jan 1, he said after inspecting hygiene standards at the Lintasan Deasoka Ramadan Bazaar.