BY NOOR SYAHHIRA HADY & SARAH HAFIZAH CHANDRA
KUCHING: Sarawak Energy has played a key role in providing employment and business opportunities to create a sustainable, thriving economy in the state.
SEB board member Datuk Idris Buang said the energy development company and a vertically integrated electricity utility’s role is needed for Sarawak to achieve high income status by 2030.
“In 2022, we engaged approximately 650 vendors, of which 80 per cent were Sarawakians, out of which 37 percent were Sarawakian Bumiputera contractors.
“The total value awarded was RM2.7 billion, out of which RM2 billion was awarded to Sarawakians.
“Moreover, these same contractors have played a vital role in progressing our rural electrification efforts, enabling us to achieve 97.9 per cent rural coverage and 99.2 per cent overall domestic coverage in alignment with the government’s agenda to electrify the whole of Sarawak with an investment of RM2.37 billion,” he said.
He said this in his speech when representing Sarawak Energy chairman Datuk Amar Abdul Hamed Sepawi at the Sarawak Energy Vendor Awards (SEVA) 2023 at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) last night (May 30).
He said the company also provides competency building initiatives and opportunities for Sarawak’s businesses to equip vendors with strong technical capabilities to maximise the potential of its partnerships.
“We collaborate with various training providers, such as Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS), Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), Akademi Binaan Malaysia (ABM) and relevant bodies through our Contractors’ Capability Building Programme to develop local vendors and workers with the ultimate aim of enhancing project implementation.
“With these collaborations, we are able to produce highly capable contractors with a high competency that can meet the challenges and demands of the industries and make Sarawak Energy the paramount powerhouse in the region,” he said.
“Furthermore, Sarawak Energy has optimised the benefits of digitalisation through its Sarawak Energy e-Procurement System (SEPRO).
“SEPRO, the system, has given the greatest efficiency and advantage to Sarawak Energy and all its vendors.
“To date we have approximately 3,900 vendors registered in SEPRO, out of which, more than 1,400 vendors (36 per cent) are Sarawak Bumiputera,” he said.
