Budget 2018 rural infrastructure allocation inadequate – Rep
MIRI: Budget 2018’s allocation for rural infrastructure development in the state is inadequate, said Kabong assemblyman Mohd Chee Kadir.
He pointed out that this is because many rural areas in Sarawak are still lacking in basic amenities.
“There are still many rural areas that need attention and have no access to clean water and electricity. For example, in Kabong there is a problem of low water pressure,” he said here yesterday.
He pointed out that Kabong folk always need to store water due to the low water pressure.
“Sometimes water is only available in the evening and they start storing the water at night for their daily needs the next day. We hope Budget 2018 will be utilised to help address the people’s problems,” he said, adding the old pipes in the interior of Kabong need to be replaced urgently.
He pointed out there are still many areas in the constituency relying entirely on generator sets for electricity, causing residents to incur huge expenses to buy diesel.
Mohd Chee said he also looked forward to the RM1 billion allocation for dilapidated schools in Sarawak.
“We are grateful that two schools in my area also benefit from Budget 2018 and the project will be managed by a certified contractor, who is also involved in the Pan Borneo Highway project,” he added.
Under Budget 2018, over RM1.4 billion has been allocated for the construction of rural roads, as well as to provide rural electricity and clean water supply for both Sabah and Sarawak.