[ad_1]
CM: The 2021 budget is moving the state towards a stronger economy and a better quality of life for all Sarawakians
Abang Johari (center) arrives at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) for the afternoon session. – Photo by Penerangan
KUCHING: The Supply Bill (2021), 2020, which passed yesterday in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN), will see various strategies and programs in place to ensure that Sarawak’s economy remains resilient and continues to grow amid the pandemic. of Covid-19.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg described the Sarawak Budget 2021 as “a roadmap to a future that embodies the values and aspirations of the people of Sarawak, opportunities for all, a rising standard of living; and a peaceful and sustainable Sarawak. “
He said in his closing speech that he believed the future he envisioned was within his grasp, but that he needed the collective effort of all Sarawakians to build a strong economy and work together to meet the challenges that lie ahead.
“It will not be easy. But I firmly believe that as united and hardworking Sarawakians, I am very optimistic about the future of Sarawak than I am today.
“I know that when we are united in the face of challenges, we will come out stronger and better than before. I know that when we work together, there are no limits to what we can achieve. Together, we will move forward to innovate, create opportunity and make Sarawak stronger than ever, ”said the Chief Minister.
Under the theme “Revitalizing the economy towards a resilient, supportive and inclusive society”, the state budget is worth RM 9,832 million, comprising RM 6 billion for development expenses and RM 3,832 million for operating expenses.
However, total development spending amounts to RM6.304 billion as the state will continue to take advantage of state alternative financing initiatives in addition to other funding sources to supplement the development budget.
Abang Johari’s development-oriented budget had allocated the largest share to rural development at RM4,251 million. Its people-centered projects and programs are expected to accelerate the state’s economic activities.
He said today that his administration had introduced the budget to ensure that the economic risks associated with the pandemic would be effectively mitigated.
“At the same time, the budget has also highlighted various strategies and programs to ensure that Sarawak’s economy remains on solid foundations,” he said.
Abang Johari said that he believed Sarawak was on the right track to become a high-income economy by 2030.
“However, to be one, Sarawak must have enough talent and good infrastructure, public services, good communication and connectivity that can support and attract private investment,” he said, adding that the government had allocated substantial funds for these purposes.
To achieve economic transformation, he said his administration would emphasize income diversification.
“We also need to move from upstream to high-value downstream activities with improvements in both physical and soft connectivity infrastructures to position Sarawak on the global investment map,” he added.
Abang Johari highlighted several initiatives in the state budget that would help the state move forward and recover from the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.
These include digital transformation, innovation, education and human capital, agriculture, the service sector, infrastructure and utilities, transportation, renewable energy, tourism, forestry, manufacturing, and Business development.
Abang Johari said the state budget was designed to create an investment environment and ecosystem for the private sector to invest, and was designed to adapt to a new model of economic development.
He added that since becoming prime minister, his priority had always been to achieve a major paradigm shift in the state’s development strategy through the adoption of digital technology.
“This will be vigorously pursued in the upcoming 12th Malaysia Plan and beyond. This is the way forward to make our economy more competitive globally so that we can have more global prominence, “he said.
He also noted that innovation was required for the economy to respond to the impact of the pandemic, adding that testing technologies were changing rapidly, such as in vaccine development.
“In Sarawak, there are many areas of opportunity for innovation. Research and development, particularly in digital technologies and biodiversity, could position Sarawak as a living test bed and laboratory for scientists to develop technologies in a wide range of applications, ”he said.
He added that the state government wanted to encourage and develop more indigenous products for commercialization, and that this would be achieved through research and development activities.
At the same time, Abang Johari said that the state government wanted quality education to be accessible to all Sarawakians.
“We want to develop a knowledge-based society that is globally competitive. By 2030, we want Sarawak to have an agile workforce to drive the vision of the state and excel globally, ”he said.
Abang Johari also said that the state government was initiating interventions to complement the federal government’s education policies and development to meet its requirements, such as international schools.
“We are also serious about addressing the quality of education in our state. We need to ensure that our workforce has the right skills to meet the needs of the industry.
“This requires integrated planning based on collaboration between higher education institutions, industry and other stakeholders,” he said.
[ad_2]
