Infrastructure top priority, says CM

Kota Kinabalu: Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said improving the State’s infrastructure will remain top priority with the RM5.2 billion allocated to Sabah in the recent National Budget 2020.“It is vital that land, air and sea connectivity are put in place. Projects such as the Pan-Borneo Highway, Sabah Transshipment Hub Port, extension of the Kota Kinabalu International Airport and Sabah International Convention Centre will be implemented in a more cost-effective and efficient way. “We are hopeful that the completion of these projects in due course will provide strong impetus for the State’s economic transformation in the coming years and to facilitate trade and investment opportunities between Sabah and Kalimantan, and beyond,” he said. He said the Sabah Government would also seek to improve basic infrastructure that directly attract both foreign direct investments (FDI) and domestic direct investments (DDI) to the State especially in various industrial parks such as the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP); POIC Lahad Datu; and the newest, Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park (SOGIP) in Sipitang.

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CHIEF Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor’s 2021 Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya Plan and the Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (SEDIA) have laid out a road map to an exciting future for all Sabahans, with a target of increasing Sabah’s income levels and GDP per capita from about RM 23,000 to about RM 40,000 by 2030.

“I welcome the setup of the Convention and Exhibition Bureau promoting Sabah as one of the top MICE destination in the region. Not only promoting Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), but also other facilities that are available throughout Sabah. “Under this government, socio-economic challenges such as rising cost of living in city areas, lack of connectivity in public transportation, quality of education and healthcare and the lack of affordable housing will be given greater focus and attention,” he said. On the minimum wage of RM1,200 for major cities to be implemented nationwide by 2020, he said, in many ways it is a wake-up call to the business community. “It should no longer rely on cheap labour as a key component of their business model. “Instead, seek to upgrade, innovate and improve productivity to offset rising labour costs. “It is important for the Sabah Government to restructure and diversify the State’s economy from merely depending on primary exports to one that focuses on the importance of downstream and adding value to Sabah’s resources such as timer, oil and gas and crude palm oil,” he said.

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As next year will be “Visit Malaysia Year 2020”, Mohd Shafie encouraged greater private sector involvement, especially in the development of premium tourism products and destinations to attract more visitors to Sabah and to promote Sabah as the “MUST-VISIT” state for the Visit Malaysia Year 2020 Campaign. “It is the Sabah Government’s commitment to promote more strategically to attract more tourists to visit this state. Likewise, the Sabah Government will look into enhancing the State’s air connectivity attracting more full-service international airlines servicing Kota Kinabalu International Airport,” he said.

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