KUCHING: The State government will be spending a record sum of allocations to build road-related and utility infrastructures within the next two years, said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi (Dr) Abang Johari Tun Openg on Monday.
Speaking during a closing of a three-day yearly retreat for Sarawak heads of government departments at a local hotel in Batu Ferringhi, Penang, he pointed out that a total sum of about RM11 billion would be spent to build roads, bridges, provide water and electricity throughout Sarawak.
He revealed that RM2.8 billion would be spent on water supplies, RM2.3 billion on electricity supplies and about RM6 billion on the coastal highway.
“We have never spent so much on infrastructure and this will be a record spending for Sarawak,” he said.
He expressed his gratitude to the 140 odd key government officers who were encamped here primarily to seek ways and means to expedite the implementation of all the projects approved by the state government.
In response to a recommendation to enhance the success rate and hasten the pace of projects, he announced a trust fund of RM200 million that would provide funding, reimbursable upon confirmation of budget, for front-end phase of projects which included pre-studies and appraisals.
He reiterated, as had been announced during the Lan Berambeh 2018 in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday that the state government had considered providing starting next year a grant of undisclosed quantum to every newly-borne of Sarawakian parents which would only be withdrawable upon the child reaching the age of 18.
During the retreat, the officers who had been divided into clusters in their deliberations made a series of recommendations to the state government with a view to ensure fast project delivery and enhance public services, including state-funded welfare assistance.
Abang Johari also said that he had found a way to bring in more revenue for Sarawak that would be used to fund the projects without spending the existing state reserves.
“Just wait for my budget speech on November 5,” he told the officers without revealing the mechanism of how the revenue would be generated.
He said that the state government had decided to fund all the approved projects as the state could no longer rely on Putrajaya to fund projects for the benefit of the people.
He expressed confidence that the increased public spending coupled with consistent policies would shore up the states economy within the next two years.
He added that Sarawak should capitalise on the relocation of industries out of China that was expected to happen given the possible scenario of a trade war between China and USA.
Earlier, various clusters representing key aspects of project implementation made their presentations and recommendations to the Chief Minister and members of the State Cabinet led by the State Secretary, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani.
Members of the cabinet present were the Minister for Utilities, Datuk Sri Stephen Rundi Utom, Minister for Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development, Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah and Minister for Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
