KOTA KINABALU – Sabah was financially stable under the previous Warisan-led state government due to its good fiscal management.
Warisan and other alliance parties, including DAP, PKR, Amanah and the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko), ruled the state between May 2018 until Warisan lost in the recent state elections this September.
According to the Auditor-General’s Report released yesterday, Sabah saw a 2.5% increase in its revenue collection from RM4.15 billion in 2018 to RM4.26 billion last year.
Auditor-General Datuk Nik Azman Nik Abdul Majid said overall, the report found the state showed a true and just position of its financial status last year.
“Sabah’s accounting records were also properly managed and were frequently updated,” Azman said.
The National Audit Department had also made 11 recommendations to improve on Sabah’s financial performance.
At end-2019, the state’s revenue rose by RM18.84 million, or 3.7%, to RM527.64 million compared with RM508.8 million in 2018.
The state’s consolidated revenue generated a surplus of RM214.24 million, or a 242.3%, increase from 2018 at RM62.58 million.
The state’s public debt arrears, meanwhile, declined by RM1.05 billion, or 27.7%, to settle at RM2.74 billion compared with RM3.79 billion in 2018.
Sabah’s consolidated fund fell by RM521.59 million, or 13.8%, to RM3.25 billion in 2019 compared with RM3.77 billion in 2018.
However, the report also revealed that, out of 760 planned development projects, only 99 projects, or 13%, were completed last year; 445 projects, or 58.6%, were at 60% completion; and, 216 projects, or 28.4%, had not commenced.
A total of RM974.43 million in development allocation was approved last year, of which RM810.4 million (83.2%) was spent. – The Vibes, December 19, 2020
