Be transparent on JV deals, DBKK urged
KOTA KINABALU: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Central Youth Movement Leader Sim Fui has called on Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) to be transparent when engaging the private sector for joint venture (JV) deals in infrastructure development.
He said Mayor Datuk Nordin Siman's strategy to attract local and international investors to participate in the infrastructure development of the city through Public-Private Partnership. Initiatives was a viable option to increase
DBKK's revenue but details of the projects must be made transparent.
“DBKK should also give opportunities to local companies to participate in the JV deals,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Sim further hoped that DBKK would be fair when seeking local or international investors to collaborate in its programmes.
“Perhaps the City Hall could allow only local contractors to bid for certain projects in order to boost the growth of Sabahan companies.
“DBKK ought to set aside certain developments to be opened for tender to local companies only, and other projects for international firms.”
In addition, Sim urged creative local young Sabahan entrepreneurs to take the initiative to spur the economy of the city, and find ways to attract more tourists and international businesses to Kota Kinabalu.
On Green and Smart City programmes, he hoped that the City Hall could formulate a comprehensive masterplan on this matter because being green was more than just managing food waste and maintaining cleanliness.
While he concurred that enforcing the anti-litter bylaws and issuing compounds to litterbugs were necessary measures, Sim opined that a green city involved a much bigger scope, such as the need for the Federal and State Governments to work on reducing vehicle emissions.
He said car emission was a contributor to air pollution and an obstacle towards achieving green city status.
Hence, Sim hoped that the Transport Ministry could emulate green policies in other countries, including encouraging the use of electric vehicles.
Meanwhile, he suggested to the Mayor to offer open-air parking lots at night for small-time businessmen at cheap rentals.
He said there were many openair parking lots that were closed at night and these could be used to create business opportunities for small vendors.
He believed that a win-win outcome could be achieved if DBKK could simplify and speed up the application for hawker's trading licence and create more night markets or recreational areas.
Nonetheless, Sim hoped that Nordin could provide an outline for his new plans and programmes as soon as possible so that the public could work hand in hand with DBKK in implementing of these initiatives.