Uggah showing the Sarawak Socio-Economic Transformation Programme proposal while (from left) Wong, Francis, Talip, Dr Annuar (behind Talip), Ismawi (second right) and Abu Bakar (right) look on. — Photo by Jeffery Mostapha
KUCHING: Sarawak has drawn up a strategic plan, which it says focuses on enhancing its annual growth from the current 4.4 per cent to 6.5 per cent, to achieve a high income status by 2030.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said under the Sarawak Socio-Economic Transformation Plan (SETP), the state is projected to grow at 6.5 per cent per annum to realise its aspiration to become a high income state by 2030.
“For the state to reach its target, it needs to develop a comprehensive integrated and balanced socio-economic plan and the plan is to focus on raising the income level and intensifying the economic growth and reduce income disparity,” he told a press conference after chairing the first State Socio-Economic Transformation Plan committee meeting at a hotel here yesterday.
According to him, SETP will be focusing on six key result areas; namely Manufacturing, Agriculture, Tourism, Urban Development, Environmental Development and Housing.
Uggah added that the recommendations will be submitted to the Steering Committee to be chaired by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem in October for incorporation into the 2017 budget.
When asked what would be the challenges to become a high income state, Uggah replied that the committee had identified various challenges – among them the need to transform rural areas by raising the people’s monthly income to RM4,000.
“And then there is a need to bring more tourists and more need to attract private investment to the country, so all those are the challenges we have identified and to transform our economy,” he said.
“Those are the tasks and we are working at all sectors; what are the programmes that we can implement, what are the issues that need to be resolved to ensure whatever programme that the government approves will be implementable and to be implemented as scheduled,” He added.
Uggah, who is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture and Rural Economy, said once Sarawak is able to overcome all these challenges, only then will it become a high income state by 2030.
“With all the programmes that we will recommend, we hope we will achieve the 6.5 per cent
growth towards 2030 that is an annual growth, so that is the key.”
Among those present were Second Minister of Finance Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Assistant Minister for Rural Economy (Interior Areas) and Plantation Datuk Francis Harden Hollis, Assistant Minister for Urbanisation Datuk Talip Zulpilip, Assistant Minister for Science Research and Biotechnology Dr Annuar Rapaee, Deputy State Secretary Datu Ismawi Ismuni, State Planning Unit director Datu Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki and Entrepreneurs Development and Halal Industries Unit (Chief Minister’s Department) director Samat Junai.