SRI AMAN: Foreign labour is a challenge that must be addressed promptly to ensure projects like the Pan Borneo Highway are completed on schedule.
Senior Minister of Public Works Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the main challenges now include an inadequate supply chain (of building materials), the rising cost of building materials and insufficient workers.
“The entry of foreign workers into the country is quite slow and still cannot meet the expected numbers.
“And there is no denying that there are contractors of the Pan Borneo Highway who are still facing this problem.
“This is due to many processes… not only on our side but we have to wait for supplier countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia and so on.
“Therefore, we have to make sure that the Public Works Department (PWD) as well as implementing contractors and consultants come together to see what steps can be taken to speed up the process so that the target for the Pan Borneo Highway completion can be achieved,” he said.
He said this to the media after the officiating at the opening of the Sri Aman Multi-Level Interchange here on Sunday (Sept 4).
In his speech earlier, he stated that the development status of the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway recorded every month stood at only one per cent.
“In the context of the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway, the overall development of one per cent per month is due to the challenges stated such as insufficient supply chain (building materials), secondly in terms of workers and thirdly the rising cost of building materials.
“For that reason, many adjustments had to be made by the contractor.
“However, we examine all aspects and what is important is the commitment to to complete according to what we are aiming for. Even now we can see the construction work is getting more vigorous,” he added.
