KUCHING: Words of praise continue to pour in for the historic Sarawak Budget 2019 tabled by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg at the State Legislative Assembly sitting here on Monday.
Abang Johari, who is also the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, proposed a substantial allocation of RM9.073 billion for the Development Expenditure.
The amount represented about 76 percent of the total budget, while 24 percent or RM2.841 billion is allocated for the Operating Expenditure.
Of the total budget in 2019, RM6.049 billion or 67 percent of the allocation will go to the development of rural areas.
Desmond Abraham, 31, a private sector employee, said the proposed budget would greatly benefit Sarawakians, especially those from the rural communities.
“It’s about time that the rural people share the benefits from the state development and the State Government’s move to allocate such a historic amount for rural development is commendable,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tan Joon Seng, 31, another private sector worker, described the intensive focus on rural development as a positive move for the State Government in its rural transformation agenda.
He said the rural infrastructure should be at par with those in the urban areas in order for the rural communities to benefit from the state development.
“This is why the State Government’s move to focus and allocate such a big sum of money on rural development will significantly help to improve the livelihood of the rural folks and, at the same time, provide more job opportunities for the younger generation,” said Tan.
The Sarawak Budget 2019 also includes a proposal to make Digital Economy one of the key thrusts of the state’s future economy.
The State Government’s commitment towards the implementation of the Digital Economy will help to maximise digital technology and digitalisation to leapfrog the state’s economy.
Jason Ladah, 34, an automotive sector worker, said the young and tech-savvy generation would greatly benefit from these key strategies.
He said more job opportunities would emerge with the implementation of the Digital Economy, apart from connecting Sarawak to the world.
“It would also help the local entrepreneurs as the emphasis on Digital Economy would help them sell their products to a bigger market,,” he said, adding the strategy would also help the government to be more efficient in its service delivery.
