KUCHING, Nov 3: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Youth hopes that Budget 2021 will allocate more funding for rural-based infrastructure projects to ensure that Sarawak would not be left out, said PRS Youth chief Datuk Snowdan Lawan.
“Development budget especially for Sarawak where funding for infrastructures are deemed necessary should not be cut.
“Instead, we request for additional funding from KPLB (Ministry of Rural and Regional Development) to allow Sarawak to leapfrog in building the infrastructures development like treated water plants, rural electrification, road access and telecommunication,” Snowdan said in a statement issued here today.
He added that Sarawak expects a bigger development-centric budget allocation from the Finance Minister.
“Our economy as reflected by our national GDP has shown downtrend growth rate, and has been greatly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic where much economic activities especially in manufacturing, services and notably the construction sector in Sarawak being put on hold or stagnated.
“Thus, some kind of economic impetus or stimulus needed to be introduced and implemented,” he said.
The Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports stressed that the economic impetus will compliment those announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin when the country was in the midst of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic earlier on.
“These new aids or stimulus packages will help to revive and rejuvenate the economic activities by creating a more vigorous ‘demand and supply’ chain within the country.
“However, this can only happen with a bigger spending budget when jobs opportunities sprang up resultant thereof and citizens can spend what they earned,” he opined.
The Balai Ringin assemblyman pointed out that during this economic situation, saving is an option, at least initially.
“Savings should take the form of prudent fiscal management by avoiding wastage during projects implementation.
“Luxury can be forgone for now so long as the people’s welfare it not denied and also not at the expense of some Rakyat projects which have been approved prior and not cancelled during the 22 months of PH’s rule earlier,” he said.
Snowdan added that economic activities have to be in an “expansionary” mode and transactions must be kept rolling on.
“That means, the people’s sources of income should be initiated through jobs creations that will be followed by spending,” he said.
Budget 2021 is expected to be tabled by Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz on Friday, Nov 6. — DayakDaily
