Ceiling value raised to RM2 mln
Project value under divisional tender board increased by RM1.25 million to expedite development programmes
With this new system, there should not be any more delays otherwise the people on the ground will question the delays. Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Deputy Chief Minister
LAW AS: The Sarawak government has raised the ceiling value of projects that could be tendered out by the divisional tender board chaired by the Resident’s Office to RM2 million to expedite development programmes.
Previously, the value of the projects under procurement category was capped at RM750,000.
The value of projects under the cast lot system has also been revised to a maximum of RM 1 million recently, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk A mar Awang Tengah Ali Has an yesterday after chairing a progress briefing on approved projects in Lawas District undertaken by various implementing agencies.
“There are some projects which are delayed while others are done in Lawas but we want the agencies concerned to closely monitor and delays must be nipped in the bud,” he said.
He added that the new system was aimed at simplifying procedures and the Resident is authorised to make changes to any projects as long as they do not exceed the project value.
“With this new system, there should not be any more delays otherwise the people on the ground will question the delays,” he said.
He called on Limbang Resident Ahmad Denny Ahmad Fauzi and Lawas district officer Ladin Atok to monitor closely those approved projects.
Awang Tengah, who is also Minister of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development and Second Minister of Urban Development and Natura l Resources, also said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had been keeping close tab of projects rolled out throughout Sarawak.
On another matter, Awang Tengah expressed dismay at the arrangement for the Education Department to monitor school upgrading projects which had caused much delay.
“How can you expect the officers here to monitor the progress when they don’t even have the specifications, design or tender documents at their disposal, and when the Education Department is not a technical department?” he asked.
He said five schools in Lawas District were under the upgrading programme but not supervised by the Public Works Department ( PWD).
Citing SK Long Tengoa as one of them, he said students at the school had to study in a store as the project was abandoned after their classroom was pulled down to make way for a new one.
Projects for other schools in the district monitored by PWD were on track, he added.
Present at t he br ief i ng were Lawas MP Datuk Henry Sum Agong, Ahmad Denny, Ladin and representatives of govt departments.