MIRI: The hands of the Public Works Department’s Northern Regional Office is full with having to handle 38 infrastructure projects worth RM 1.6 billion in Miri, Bintulu and Limbang Divisions.
Overall, PWD currently oversee the implementation of RM6 billion worth of projects in the state.
Its northern region manager Talib Bujang Masli said the 38 projects comprised 14 road projects with a total contract value of RM308.4 million, three bridges (RM50.6 million), 12 water supply projects (RM RM385.9 million), construction of one building (RM2.9 million) and eight infrastructure projects under the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE)(RM 841.6 million).
Talib said the role assumed by the regional office formed part of the “New Face of PWD” organisational restructuring which is aimed at making PWD more focused, practical and flexible.
“The northern regional office takes over the monitoring and implementing role of projects costing above RM0.5 million. Such projects were previously handled by the divisional office or headquarters,” he said at the opening of their new office by Assistant Minister of Communications Datuk Lee Kim Shin yesterday.
He added that divisional offices would now handle projects below RM0.5 million and those placed under the social impact category.
Saying that regional offices now shoulder a heavy responsibility, Talib said it all formed part of the department’s plan to become a `Centre of Excellence for Project Management’ and a premier one-stop engineering agency for planning, development and maintenance of all public infrastructures and facilities in the state.
Meanwhile, state PWD director Zuraimi Sabki said changes in the organisational structure were meant to raise the efficiency and effectiveness of the department based on a balance score card.