Kota Kinabalu: The construction industry in Sabah, particularly the East Coast, has been severely impacted by an ongoing cement shortage since mid-October.
Sabah Builders Association (SBA) President Henry Tsen said Sandakan, Lahad Datu and Tawau are currently grappling with the problem.
“Cement is a crucial component for construction projects. Without it, construction work would come to a halt,” he said.
Expressing deep concern about the shortage, he said the State’s construction players had been significantly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Challenges such as lockdown, increase in building material and labour costs, worker shortage and disruption in the supply chain have posed substantial difficulties. Many are just recovering from their financial challenges, and this unexpected disruption to their work progress adds further financial burden,” said Henry.
He added that having additional cement manufacturers and suppliers would benefit the construction sector, providing a more reliable cement supply.
“While the Federal Government promised to award more construction projects to Sabah contractors, not much of these have been implemented. This is especially true for the remaining packages of the Pan Borneo Highway,” said Henry.
SBA hoped these projects could be quickly implemented to improve cash flow for Sabah’s construction players.
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