KUCHING: Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan is hoping that the Federal government will raise Sarawak’s allocation in Budget 2023.
This is so that the state may undertake a lot more infrastructure and development projects to hasten and promote economic growth.
Sarawak needs additional financing to implement such projects, including the building of roads, bridges, water and electricity supply as well as telecommunication facilities to stimulate the local economy and spur greater growth, he asserted.
“We need to establish more industrial estates and business premises to support the small and medium sized industries, especially in rural areas of Sarawak to help them recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We also need more funding to implement programmes that could stimulate the economy and improve people’s income that will uplift their wellbeing and livelihood to ultimately eradicate poverty in Sarawak,” he said.
He told reporters this during a press conference to announce the Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Awards (AUBS) 2022 at Wisma Sumber Alam here today.
Awang Tengah who is also the International Trade, Industry and Investment (MINTRED) Minister added that a more stable funding would be needed for the education and healthcare sectors, particularly to upgrade old and dilapidated schools, clinics and hospitals.
“There are many schools in Sarawak still in dilapidated condition which require repairs or building of new facilities. In terms of healthcare, we want to upgrade hospitals and clinics as well as build new hospitals as many districts are still without such facilities.
“With so many infrastructure and development left to be implemented, it is only right for Sarawak to get a bigger share of the allocation,” he said.
On the same note, he calls for a refined implementation mechanism of projects in Sarawak.
“This is so that any project that has been approved for implementation, and when the allocation has been given, it must be implemented within the time frame.
“Even though in the case that the project may not be fully completed, it must be executed, otherwise, the allocation that has been set but not spent. We don’t want that to happen. So the process needs to be reviewed,” he added.
