THE private sector has been urged to give projects to eligible and capable Bumiputera contractors.
Assistant Minister for International Trade and Industry, Industry Terminal and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Malcolm Mussen Lamoh said the state government had a policy of imposing the condition that 30 percent of the annual development allocations of ministries/departments/agencies were specifically for Bumiputera contractors.
“This policy relates to the participation of Bumiputera contractors for projects which use state government allocations only.
“Therefore, it is not used for industrial sectors controlled by the private sector such as at the Kidurong Industrial Zone and Samalaju Industrial Park,” he said in response to a question from Majang Renggi (PRS-Samalaju) during the DUN sitting today.
On projects under the implementation of the Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) since 2008, he said 36 contracts valued at RM1 billion had been implemented by local contractors.
“Of that total, 16 contracts valued at RM500 million have been offered to Bumiputera contractors. These projects do not include the construction of factories implemented by investors in the Samalaju Industrial Park,” he said.
As an example, Malcolm said Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) implemented a procurement policy for Bumiputera vendors such that a minimum of 30 percent of the total value of work implemented within the period of one year had to be allocated to Bumiputera contractors, quotation or tender for work under RM350,000 had to be restricted to Bumiputera contractors, and quotation or tender for supplies, services, and consultations under RM200,000 had to be restricted to Bumiputera contractors.
“For Bintulu, 129 contracts involving RM124 million had been offered to Bumiputera contractors by SEB, whereby 55 contracts valued at RM65 million are at Tanjung Kidurong and five contracts valued at RM10 million are in Samalaju,” he said.
He said his ministry had organised various entrepreneurship development programmes such as the contractor entrepreneur symposium held throughout Sarawak including Bintulu, adding that of the 7,683 Bumiputera contractors who attended, 298 were from Bintulu.
“The ministry together with state and federal government agencies will continue to implement these entrepreneurship programmes to increase awareness and knowledge on business opportunities for Bumiputera contractors,” Malcolm said, urging such contractors to take part in these programmes.
