KOTA KINABALU – Sabah Government is expected to intensify the momentum of development and improve the quality of lives of Sabahans as it aims to overcome a slowdown brought forth by Covid-19.
Sabah Governor Tun Juhar Mahirruddin stressed however that the continuity of the Government and the people working as a team is most important now to ensure the effectiveness of Government initiatives over the next five years.
In rebuilding the economy, Juhar said the State Government will double its efforts to develop the state with high impact projects ranging various sectors.
“Such high impact projects are the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway, the expansion of the Sepanggar Container Port, the Upper Padas Hydro Power and the Kalabakan Road / Serudong - Menggaris road,” said Juhar in his policy speech during the opening of the State Assembly sitting at the State Legislative Assembly, here, today.
In the agriculture sector, the State Government would also stress on the food supply guarantee policy and food security and this will be supported by the utilisation of modern technology to improve productivity and quality of produce, said Juhar.
On tourism, Juhar said a roadmap is in the works to rebuild the state’s tourism industry post the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that the preservation of Sabah’s natural tourist sites is being made to ensure the sector would be able to flourish later.
In the industrial sector, the Government will set its focus on encouraging “clean and environmentally-friendly industries” as well as creating more job opportunities in the manufacturing sector.
Juhar also said free economic zones will be developed in industrial parks to attract more domestic and foreign companies to invest in Sabah as the State Government will enhance the capabilities of local small-medium sized industries via training and upskilling programmes.
Juhar said town development and structural planning will be based on the Sabah structural plan where local governments would have to formulate its own local planning and identify land use and zoning.
“Development planning will also be based on sustainable development goals and the Low Carbon City Framework Initiative to ensure the creation of a conducive environment,” he said.
Affordable housing would also be a primary focus of the State Government while the state focuses on poverty eradication programmes like the Mini Estate, Amenity and economic, cottage industries, community development and training schemes, he said.
Earlier, all the assemblymen were informed that they have to go through the governor’s policy speech without the social distancing measure in place and that the problem would only be addressed on Monday (November 16).
The 16th Sabah Legislative Assembly’s first sitting would be held for two days - today and Monday (November 16).
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor is expected to table a supplementary budget on Monday.
The State 2021 Budget is expected to be tabled sometime in December. – The Vibes, November 12, 2020.
