CLOSER FEDERAL-STATE RELATIONSHIP: State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohd Morshidi Abdul Ghani walking side by side with Mohd Irwan on arrival for the consultation session yesterday. – Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: The federal government is planning to establish an urban transformation centre (UTC) in the state to provide better, convenient and faster service to the public.
Finance Ministry Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah said he was in the process of identifying a suitable site here to set up the UTC.
“Later after this I will go around to identify the site for the centre because the most important thing is it has to be easily reached by the general public, with ample parking spaces and available public transport system,” he said.
He added that the concept of the centre is to provide all kinds of services under one roof.
“All the government departments, agencies and statutory bodies need to do is open up their counters at the centre which means people who want to pay their utility bills and renew their passport can have everything done at one place.
“So this is what we are planning to do not only in Sarawak but also Sabah,” he said, adding that this was among the efforts put in by the government to provide better service to the people.
Mohd Irwan stated this in his opening remark at the 2014 Budget Consultation programme at a leading hotel here yesterday.
On the programme, he explained that it was aimed at gathering feedback from stakeholders in the state pertaining to specific issues to ensure the 2014 Budget will be inclusive and take into account the welfare of all parties.
“We want the 2014 Budget which the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) is going to table in Parliament on Oct 25 to be the best budget ever,” he added.
The consultation process involves closed-door dialogues with representatives from various government departments, agencies, statutory bodies and non-governmental organisations.
This was the second consultation programme to be held by the Finance Ministry and the next one will be organised in Sabah.