Sarawak to invest RM2bil in digital economy
KUCHING: The Sarawak government is investing RM2bil to develop the state’s digital economy infrastructure.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state had recently launched its digital economy strategy, including plans to develop the digital economy up to 2022.
It has also set up Sarawak Multimedia Authority, Sarawak Digital Economy Corp and Sarawak Development Bank to spearhead the various digital economy initiatives.
“We have launched our own Sarawak Pay which we hope will be widely used in the state,” he added when opening KASI Instituteorganised International Conference on Sarawak and Asean here yesterday.
Johari said as the digital economy only contributed 2.3% to the state economy. This needed to be vastly improved if Sarawak was to catch up with the fourth industrial revolution train.
He said the government had since last year approved RM7bil worth of infrastructure and public utility projects,which he wanted their implementation process be expedited.
On the progress of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (Score), Johari said it had attracted some RM79.3bil of investment from both the private and public sectors.The private investment in 22 projects amount to RM33.6bil.
Several of these projects are energy-intensive,and those in operation in Samalaju Industrial Park, Bintulu include aluminium, ferroalloy and manganese smelters.
The Score boundary has recently been expanded by 30% to cover its hinterland so as to attract investors in the development of the rural and interior Sarawak.
“Three development agencies have been set up under Recoda (Regional Corridor Development Authority) to see the development of rural and interior Sarawak. This include the development of six trigger projects – aquaculture, tourism, forestry, palm oil, tourism, rubber and biotechnology.
“There will be focus on commercial agriculture potentials in the highland areas. To succeed, we would require big players from the private sector to act as anchor farmers.”
Johari said the state economy was doing well as reflected by the growth in state revenue to RM6.86bil last year from RM5.91bil in 2016. State exports expanded to RM96bil from RM77bil year-on-year.
He said Sarawak increased its development expenditure by RM370mil to RM4.29bil last year from RM3.92bil in 2016. Also the state Finance Minister, Johari promised to present the biggest ever Sarawak state Budget 2019 in the state assembly next week.
“The budget will be our testament to fulfil the peoples’ aspirations to have more roads and bridges to increase connectivity and increase coverage of treated water and electricity supply,” he added.