By Ling Hui
KUCHING, Nov 30: As of Nov 3, the Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government has disbursed RM61.71 million or 47.02 per cent of the total of RM131.25 million allocations under the State funding for the implementation of various projects by 24 local authorities in 2022.
Its minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian said the amount was channeled for 218 infrastructure projects such as road and drainage improvements, upgrading of waterfronts and markets, provisions of street lighting, traffic lights, public toilets, public libraries, town and landscape beautification as well as rural facilities and amenities.
All the approved projects are at various stages of implementation by the local authorities, he added.
With the Rural Transformation Project (RTP) fund, Dr Sim said local authorities under his ministry were allocated with RM97.5 million in 2021 comprising of 716 projects and RM123.4 million in 2022 for 830 projects.
“To date, 572 and 102 projects were completed in 2021 and 2022 respectively. The balance of 144 and 728 projects for 2021 and 2022 are in various stages of implementation by various local authorities,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Complex today.
Under Projek Rakyat, he added, 14 projects were approved in 2022 with a total value of RM224.6 million.
As for road infrastructure, RM241.8 million has been disbursed as of Oct 31 this year for projects to maintain state roads including road furniture, road shoulders and roadside drains.
“In addition to this, the federal Ministry of Housing and Local Government has allocated RM32.7 million in 2022 for 26 local authorities in Sarawak to implement 238 minor public amenities, public facilities and infrastructure projects,” said Dr Sim, who is also the Deputy Premier of Sarawak. — DayakDaily
