Half-month salary aid for Sabah govt servants
Published on: Saturday, December 04, 2021
By: Hayati Dzulkifli
.jpg "Half-month salary aid for Sabah govt servants")
Kota Kinabalu: The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)-led State Government has agreed to approve half-month salary with a minimum of RM1,000 as special assistance to 20,271 State civil servants, which will be paid in January 2022.Chief Minister cum State Finance Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor said it is in recognition and appreciation of civil servants’ services and role in Sabah, including temporary and contract staff as well as daily paid workers (PSH).
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“The civil service is the pulse of the State Government. The Government needs to ensure that the civil service is functioning at a high level of efficiency and can deliver the best services to all the people.
“Civil servants are no exception to being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, it does not dampen the spirit to continue to serve the Government to ensure the smooth running of the administrative machinery.
“Apart from the special assistance, the State Government will also fund preliminary works on the construction of affordable housing for State civil servants.
“I hope this incentive will inspire them to improve the quality of service to the people,” he said.
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Hajiji said various programmes have been planned to improve the delivery system in line with the new norm requirements.
He said the use of digital platforms needs to be maximised to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of daily tasks, and the Government has allocated RM56.44 million to upgrade digital facilities to civil service.
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He said a total of RM3.75 million is allocated under the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and State Public Service Department for the continuation of the Electronic Government development agenda (e-Government), Creative Innovation Programme and ICT Development Programme.
During the 2022-2025 period, he said the State Government, through Sabah Net, will continue to upgrade all government offices’ Internet lines to fibre-optic networks with speeds from 30Mbps to 100Mbps.
To improve quality, knowledge and career development, Hajiji said the State Government allocates RM8.35 million to sponsor civil servants to pursue their masters and doctorate degrees at selected local and foreign universities.
“The role of the Federal Government driven by the Federal civil servants has significant value and meaning to the development of the State. Therefore, the State Government welcomes and thanks the Federal Government for the special assistance of RM700 to Federal civil servants.
“Indeed, the State Government greatly appreciates the commitment and assistance of the Federal Government to accelerate the development of the State.
“In tabling the 2022 Budget, the Federal Government has announced a total of RM5.2 billion in development expenditure for Sabah that covers the financing of basic amenities, infrastructure, water and electricity supply as well as healthcare,” he said.
In light of this, Hajiji urged the Federal and State departments to facilitate the approval process to ensure that development projects can be implemented as planned.
Although the amount is higher than the previous Budget, he said the allocation for the development is far from sufficient to meet the primary needs of the State.
“However, we understand the current financial position, especially on allocation for urgent needs on economic recovery, including various forms of people-oriented assistance that will also benefit the people of Sabah,” he said.
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