Budget 2019: Nothing special for Sarawak, says PBDS Baru veep
KUCHING: Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru ( PBDS Baru) vice-president Andrew Puro has described the National Budget 2019 as ‘offering nothing special for Sarawak’.
The former senior banker said Minister of Finance Lim Guan Eng, when tabling the budget yesterday, only mentioned Sarawak three times throughout his speech, without giving any detail on the projects that were to be implemented in Sarawak.
He regarded the budget as a ‘ window dressing’ for the rural poor in Sarawak – giving almost no benefit to the rural population.
“Personally, I see nothing for Sarawakians to cheer about from the Budget 2019 announcement – except for the price standardisation on basic necessities, the Pan Borneo project and the RM4.346 billion allocation, the PH ( Pakatan Harapan) government’s budget for Sarawak is very vague,” he said.
Andrew said the budget did not mention any specific allocation for rural development in Sarawak that was still very much behind, and any specific sector of the economy in Sarawak that would benefit from the allocation.
He believed that the muchneeded sectors are education and investment by the private sector to create job opportunities for the youths, school- leavers and graduates. He said the budget also failed to specify the allocation for rural economic growth towards generating income for the rural poor.
“Allocations of budget should focus on rural growth centres either in agro- based or commercial- based economy, to create more jobs and bring the multiplier effect economically for the rural population as a whole.
“These areas have been omitted even though they are very much needed by Sarawakians,” he said.
In tabling the budget, Lim announced that RM150 million had been allocated to stabilise supply and standardise prices of basic necessities, especially in Sabah and Sarawak.
Among the items involved would be wheat f lour, refined sugar and cooking oil in 1kg packets, as well as local rice 15 per cent crushed in 10kg packs, RON95 petrol, diesel fuel and liquefied petroleum gas ( LPG). Towards ensuring that Sarawak would continue to develop, the federal government through Budget 2019 had allocated RM4,346 million, versus the RM4,336 million set aside for 2018.
Lim said the federal government would also continue with the implementation of the Sabah and Sarawak’s Pan Borneo Highway projects – subject to cost-rationalisation studies.
“Aside from that, projects in Sabah and Sarawak will include the construction and upgrading of water, electricity and road infrastructure, health and education facilities, as well as the development of their respective economic corridors,” he said.