CM to unveil strategies for S’wak to achieve developed status
KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg will be unveiling strategies towards achieving Sarawak’s developed status by 2030.
According to the state Public Communication Unit (Ukas), his keynote address on the matter will be aired live via YouTube or Ukas Facebook page at 10am on Thursday (July 22) when launching the ‘Sarawak Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030’. In his winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly on Nov 14 2019, Abang Johari said Sarawak was on the right track to become a high income economy come 2030.
To be a developed economy, Sarawak must have sufficient and good infrastructure and public amenities that can support and attract private investment, he pointed out, adding the state must have good communication and connectivity to be able to move forward in its development agenda. After he came into office in 2017, Sarawak posted a surplus of RM110.1 million in 2018 on a budget of RM8.2 billion.
He then proposed a budget of RM11.9 billion, the biggest to date for 2020, with an expected surplus of RM122 million focussing on rural development as a means to bridge the development gap between the urban and rural areas.
“Together with talent development, these will lay the foundation for Sarawak to be on its way as a developed state come 2030.
“The Budget 2020 is designed to create the investment environment and eco-system for private sector to invest, and crafted to suit a new era of development in which digital economy is our new focus,” he added.
Essentially, he stressed, this is the development strategy of the Sarawak government for a better Sarawak in the future.
When announcing the Sarawak Economic Action Council (SEAC) in May 2020, Abang Johari said by 2030 Sarawak’s major economic sector will be fully developed based on two core principles: digital economy and environmental sustainability As Sarawak is reeling from the economic impacts of the Covid19 pandemic, both directly and indirectly, to combat this unusual precedence, the state government formed the SEAC to facilitate its post Covid-19 exit economic strategy up to 2030.
The state government had also reviewed its development strategies under the 12th Malaysia Plan to recover from severe economic impacts due to Covid-19 in a bid to remain resilient.
“The impacts brought by the pandemic have resulted in the creation and emergence of ‘new norms’ globally and we would not be able to do ‘business as usual’ anymore,” he said.
“This is the scenario that we have never experienced before and would require us to exercise a new way of doing things now and in the future.
“Therefore, we have reviewed our development strategies under the 12th Malaysia Plan to recover from severe economic impacts due to Covid-19 so as to remain resilient, adapting to ‘new normal’ and promote future economic growth and development.”
The state government will intensify its Digital Economy Agenda across all sectors of Sarawak’s economy while a sustainable environment will feature prominently in the state’s future development plan.
The two core principles consisted of 10 key propositions which included Data Centre and Innovation, Mining, High Productivity Commercial Agriculture and Commodity Sector, High Value Downstream Manufacturing, Re-greening Sarawak through Aggressive Industrial Forest Plantations, Beyond Leisure Tourism, Quality Social Services for the People, Renewable Energy and Aligning Education and Human Capital for the Future.
On October 2020, Abang Johari went on to say that these economic sectors will be encouraged and empowered through digital transformation, innovation and entrepreneurship, education, infrastructure, transportation and utilities.
“All these efforts are with the aim of a developed state with an increased average household income, from RM5,000 to RM16,000 by 2030,” he stressed.