Bumi contractors urged to have relevant skills to be competitive
KUCHING: Local Bumiputera contractors are urged to equip themselves with the relevant skills to make them competitive enough to enjoy the benefit of development projects.
This could help to eradicate the Ali Baba (sleeping partner) mentality as the Ali Baba way of doing business is not lucrative anymore, says Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
Ali Baba type of contractors may end up not get any tender or project at all, he added when officiating at a contractors’ symposium at Layar community hall in Betong on Thursday.
He added that the government of the day had announced a big allocation for infrastructural development including roads, and water and electricity supplies, and thus local Bumiputera contractors must get themselves ready so as not to miss anything from this development.
“We all want you to be actively involved in the large- scale infrastructure development projects.
“Equip yourselves and your companies with the relevant skills and facilities so that you can provide quality services and satisfy your clients’ needs. Only excellent contractors with good track record can get tenders,” he said.
However, Awang Tengah said that allocation from the federal government was not enough to meet the cost of building projects in Sarawak, and that was why the Sarawak government this year had to take another approach; allocating a very big budget for infrastructural development.
“We need to improve the quality of life of the people including those in the rural areas, and this approach will fasten the process.”
Meanwhile, more than 300 contractors from in and around Betong Division participated in the symposium.