Focus on projects that improve life of rural citizens: Yong
KOTA KINABALU:
The Government will continue to place emphasis on projects that increase the quality of life for rural citizens and are education related as well as to improve the Government’s service delivery system. This is to build capacity and increase the resilience of the nation’s economy, Assistant Local Government and Housing Minister Edward Yong Oui Fah said when officiating the Home and Decor Sabah and Buildcon Sabah Exhibition 2008 at the Sabah Trade Centre here yesterday. It is forecasted that more contract works for the construction industry will be awarded in the early stages of the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) which is expected to unveil many growth plans involving physical and non- physical developments aimed at preparing Malaysia to become a developed nation by 2020. A ceiling expenditure of approximately RM150 billion for 2006-2010 is expected from 9MP, he said. “In the past, to boost the Malaysian construction industry, the Government had used the construction sector as an instrument to pump prime the economy. However, the construction industry in Malaysia has matured and our nation is about to enter into the next stage of economic development in facing the current economic challenge,” he added. Yong said the Government is devising a separate economic strategy to promote growth giving priority to new potential sectors, but not lessening the importance of construction to sustain growth in a highly competitive market. He also urged the industry players to be proactive in managing their construction business by becoming less reliant on Government projects. Instead, they are encouraged to initiate viable private driven projects. The exhibition is a one-stop sourcing hub for buyers, contractors, developers, interior designers and building professionals in the building business. It offers a wide range of products and services from building material, construction, equipment, interior furnishing products and building intelligent technology.
