KUCHING: The Orang Ulu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OUCCI) welcomes the RM10.797 billion Sarawak Budget for 2023, which is the largest so far.
Its president, Datuk Mutang Tagal, noted that the revenue of RM11.035 billion for 2023 will thus give a surplus of RM238 million.
“The Chamber is happy that it’s going to be an expansionary budget where RM6.8 billion will be for development expenditures and projects like roads, water treatment plants, electricity generation, internet and digital infrastructure, and buildings.
“These infrastructure projects will benefit SMEs in Sarawak that are involved in construction, supplies, services, consultancies, logistics, finance, and project management,” he said to New Sarawak Tribune.
In line with Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, the Chamber hopes that the development projects are evenly distributed to all divisions in Sarawak and also in both rural and urban constituencies so that those living in rural areas could reap the spinoff benefits from these projects.
The Chamber also wants the government to increase the allocation of RM18 million in special relief funds for small or medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and the Penjana Tourism Funds to RM50 million so that more SMEs in the targeted group could benefit.
Noting that Sarawak would have its own boutique airline specially to bring in tourists to Sarawak, Mutang said the tourism sector should be given a boost, because it provides many spin offs such as hotel accommodations, buses and taxis, restaurants, handicrafts centres, tour guides, shopping, homestays, and so on.
Similarly, the Chamber urged the state government to increase the amount of soft loans and interest-free subsidy schemes to SMEs to RM100 million.
“In Sarawak, SMEs play a vital role in providing employment to young graduates in all industries such as manufacturing, services, logistics, hotels, restaurants, timber, plantations and estates, shipping, shopping malls, modern agriculture, and so on.
“The Chamber believes that access to interest-free and low-interest loans will greatly assist SMEs to improve and expand their businesses so that they can increase their contributions to Sarawak’s economy and gross domestic products (GDP),” he said.
The Chamber also hoped SMEs would be given technical and financial boosts by the government to make them productive, progressive, and resilient to compete globally.
