Musa credits Chinese advice
Published on: Thursday, March 08, 2018
Kota Kinabalu: Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman Wednesday attributed the surplus State budgets under his leadership to valuable advice of his close Chinese business friends before joining politics.Musa said he made this advice his principle in running his successful businesses and now in governing the State's administration."Before I joined politics, my business friends particularly among the Chinese, advised me not to spend more than I earned and to make sure to keep some of the revenue or earnings for rainy days.
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"I applied this valuable advice when I became Chief Minister where every year I always had surplus budget for the State either during good or bad times."I always made sure Sabah did not spend more than our reserve/revenue because it is imperative that we must know how to spend and save," said Musa, who is also State Finance Minister, launching a seminar on "Championing Sabah's Digital Economy".The State Industrial Development Ministry organised the seminar attended by 1,150 participants and supported by a Malaysia digital economy leading agency, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation Sdn Bhd, Resource Development and Information Technology Ministry, Research and Industrial Development Department, KKIP Sdn Bhd, Sabah Computer Services Department, Sabah Net Sdn Bhd, Sabah Computer Society and a non-governmental organisation Sabah E-Commerce Association.Musa said the State Government has set aside RM105 million as a special fund, which is part of the State's reserve money and more than State's expenditures, so that any necessities by the ministries to help the hard core poor people, single mothers and the special people as well as carrying out programmes to benefit the people can be attended to. "I reserve this RM105 million for any Ministry that need money for the public welfare or for a good seminar like today. This is how we operate," he said.
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Following this, he announced a fund of RM1 million from the special fund for the Industrial Development Ministry to carry out beneficial programmes and activities for development of digital economy in Sabah that will benefit the business community particularly the small and medium-sized entrepreneurs (SMEs).Musa advised business community, especially the SMEs in Sabah, to always keep up with change.
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"The business people need to be alert and fully aware of situations that often change with time and new development and tools that can be used to boost their businesses development. It will be difficult for them to compete at international platform if they are lagging behind with the current changes and transformations that enable their businesses to go forward."The government will always help the people and those venture in business industry as we want to see them to be successful and have the competitive edge."In fact, I am very happy with the feat of SMEs in Sabah where our local products have made another step when about 60 types of their products have been allowed to be marketed in Singapore and exported to Asean countries, and Middle East, among others," he said.Musa said this progress is achieved from the development and marketing programmes of SMEs products being implemented in Sabah including by the Industrial Development Ministry.He also welcomed the good effort of Industrial Development Ministry to develop the Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ) for Sabah in KKIP."This move to develop DFTZ is in line with the government aspiration to expand the businesses and to grow the SMEs in digital economy that will enable their products and services to be easily exported."This is because economic activities are being driven by Internet facilities nowadays. Therefore this would mean more effective and efficient businesses platforms or application such as e-Commerce would be needed to further intensify the activities of digital economy in Sabah as well as creating ample jobs and increase earnings for the people including youths," he said.In light of this, Musa said the State Government is willing to improvise policies, rules and laws that allow methods and approaches for businesses to grow and take measures to ensure existing policies to run businesses in Sabah are conducive and e-Commerce entrepreneurs can operate their businesses without hassle.If there was a need for liberation in terms of methods and techniques, he said the State government is prepared to study and provide rooms to promote beneficial applications in the business and commerce systems.In another development, Musa said the State government is developing the whole of Sabah, including the rural areas, where poverty is prevalent.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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