Yesterday was to have been the last day for appeals.

Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state government has agreed to waive fines for quit rent, parcel rent, and provisional block tax payments settled after the appeal period.

“With this waiver, we hope that landowners will settle these taxes as soon as possible to avoid arrears next year,” he said in a statement.

The new rate is 70 sen per sq m in urban areas and 50 sen per sq m in rural areas.

Chow disclosed that as of yesterday, district offices throughout the state had received 10,344 appeals and feedback on various issues.

Of the number, 4,015 have been resolved, while the remainder are under consideration.

On April 1, the state government reduced annual land charges for a group of owners following complaints of steep increases under the state’s revised quit rent rates.