KUCHING, Oct 18: Sarawak needs over 4,000km of its road upgraded, and over 7,000km is required to connect every settlement from Lundu to Limbang.
This was said by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas in his keynote address at the Sarawak Public Works Department (JKR) senior officers conference here yesterday (Oct 17).
Uggah, who is also the Minister for Infrastructure and Port Development, reminded the department that the implementation of the Sarawak Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030) plays a crucial role in infrastructure development.
“This is one of the pillars of the strategy. Infrastructure development is still an issue to be addressed for Sarawak to be a developed and high-income State by 2030,” he said.
Meanwhile, he wants the department to beef up its efforts in resolving about 60 sick projects within three years, adding that about 30 to 40 of these projects are in critical condition.
He elaborated that rescue contractors can manage at least 20 projects, while others can be saved through the Variation of Price (VOP) clause.
Uggah said one of the issues behind sick projects was in the selection of contractors.
“We must get the right or reputable contractors. In this regard, there is a suggestion that there should be a seminar to discuss how we can develop a mechanism for JKR to get such contractors to implement our projects.
“The sole objective is to put an end to occurrences of sick projects,” he said, adding that he hoped the seminar could be organised by year-end.
On another issue, Uggah suggested that JKR explore and study using modern technology in road and bridge construction and monitoring systems for greater delivery efficiency, suggesting drone technology.
At the conference, he hoped JKR would do a SWOT (strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis to enhance its performance, especially pertaining to sick projects.
A total of 151 officers attended the three-day conference, which will end tomorrow (Oct 19). — DayakDaily
