KUCHING, Oct 14: The slight increase in Sarawak’s development expenditure from RM5.6 billion in 2023 to RM5.8 billion under Budget 2024 is not what most Sarawakians would have hoped for, says Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Stakan chairman Dato Sim Kiang Chiok.
In a statement today, he said although, from a business view, the allocation of development expenditure for Sarawak is maintained, it also depends on where this development expenditure would be used.
“Hopefully (it will be used to build) more roads and bridges, including improvement for rural utilities,” he added.
He was commenting on the Budget 2024 announced by Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday.
Meanwhile, he hopes the National Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund (Tekun) allocation will include all races in Sarawak.
He welcomes the Tekun RM330 million allocation that includes finance facilities for all Bumiputera from Sarawak and Sabah, including the Indian community.
“We hope this fund will be inclusive for all races in Sarawak,” he said.
On the same note, he lauded the RM44 billion in loans and financing guarantees for micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises.
He said it is a good commitment from the government to support the country’s economy and business in light of the challenging business environment outlook for 2024. — DayakDaily
