By DayakDaily Team
MIRI, Nov 4: The Sri Aman Development Agency (SADA) is identifying high-impact agriculture and tourism projects to secure additional funding as its existing allocation approaches full utilisation.
According to the Sarawak Public Communication Unit (UKAS) report, chairman Dato Sri Rohani Abdul Karim said early planning was necessary to ensure development projects in Sri Aman could continue without disruption, with the agency’s previously approved allocation now nearing 100 per cent commitment.
She said the proposed projects would be based on the needs of local communities, with input from the resident’s office, district offices, community leaders and relevant technical departments and agencies.
Rohani said the development of Sri Aman was now entering its second phase, focusing on agriculture and tourism as key sectors to stimulate the local economy, create employment opportunities and increase household incomes.
Meanwhile, Sri Aman Resident Mahra Salleh said SADA’s development strategy was divided into three main phases, covering infrastructure; agriculture and tourism; as well as social services, business, education and human capital development.
He said the first phase involved an initial allocation of RM1.5 billion, of which about 70 per cent had been spent, mainly on road, bridge and drainage projects.
For agriculture, Lingga, Stumbin and Tanjung Bijat have been identified as areas with strong potential for paddy industry development.
In tourism, Gunung Lesong and Batang Ai Lake have been identified for further development as ecotourism destinations through community-based tourism (CBET), homestays and tourism products highlighting local culture.
Mahra also expressed hope that CBET could be expanded to Batang Ai, with greater participation from local communities to create new economic opportunities and generate income for residents.
He said the development plans were aligned with several key policy documents, including the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030), Sri Aman master plan 2020–2030, SADA development plan 2021–2030 and Sarawak tourism master plan 2020–2035.
The initiative to identify high-impact sectors in Sri Aman were discussed out through a three-day SADA workshop and site visits to high-impact agriculture and tourism projects in Miri, which began on Tuesday (Nov 3).
Also present at the workshop were Deputy Sri Aman Resident Frank Lani, SADA Special Administrative Officer Alfred Geling Ason, Sri Aman District Officer Sharif Bujang, Pantu District Officer Raca Mulong and acting Lingga District Officer Josephson Louis, alongside representatives from various departments, technical agencies and community leaders. —DayakDaily
