THE Local Government and Housing Ministry will distribute nearly a third from the RM124.05 million allocated to it under the 2014 State Budget to 23 local authorities (PBTs).
Its minister, Datuk Haji Hajiji Haji Noor, said RM27 million would be spent on PBTs next year, including RM10 million for capital and another RM10 million for construction, upgrading and maintenance of public parks and facilities in PBTs’ rating areas.
The remaining RM7 million would be allocated for construction, upgrading and maintenance of drainage and irrigation systems as well as public jetties, he said.
Hajiji in his winding-up speech at the State Assembly sitting yesterday, also said that three PBTs from Sabah received a four-star Rating for Accountability Index this year, namely Sipitang, Tambunan and Keningau District Councils.
Earlier, Hajiji said the ministry would adopt five strategies in implementing the programmes it had planned for next year.
This will include strengthening the development of basic infrastructure and facilities, and emphasizing on socio-economic programmes to help the needy.
Hajiji said focus on housing projects for the middle and low income groups would also be reinforced, along with development projects for new township in several districts.
He noted that three new township projects would be implemented in 2014 in Sukau, Tongod and Beluran, without revealing specific allocations for each of them.
The minister also noted that 10,000 units of affordable homes would be built in five years starting from next year by Sabah Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (Shareda).
He said that the National Housing Department had constructed 19,983 units of houses, with 14,256 already completed while the remaining were still under construction.
Syarikat Perumahan Negara Nasional (SPNB) meanwhile had completed 5,795 units and was currently building another 8,249 units in Sabah, he added.
On another related matter, Hajiji reported to the House that 1,027 cases had been settled by the House Buyers Tribunal of Sabah since 2007, with compensation amounting to RM4.52 million awarded to buyers.
Answering a supplementary question from Api Api assemblywoman Christina Liew, he said the ministry would look into following Sarawak’s move to increase the maximum amount of compensation that could be awarded by the tribunal from the current RM45,000.