THE Sarawak Government has committed a total of RM13.5 billion to nine regional development agencies (RDAs) to narrow the urban-rural development gap and accelerate infrastructure development across the state.
According to Deputy Premier, who is also Second Minister of Finance and New Economy, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, the initiative emphasises the government’s commitment to equitable and inclusive development.
“These regional development agencies (RDAs) were established to bridge the urban-rural divide and to speed up infrastructure development throughout Sarawak.
“This is being achieved through a bottom-up approach in the planning and execution of projects, where the needs of the people are identified on the ground and addressed accordingly,” he said during his ministerial winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.
He said each of the nine agencies has been allocated RM1.5 billion, ensuring a balanced distribution of resources across Sarawak.
“Of the total allocation, RM7.5 billion has been channelled through the state’s annual budget to support the implementation of 901 development projects under five agencies: the Sri Aman Development Agency (SADA), Betong Division Development Agency (BDDA), Rajang Delta Development Agency (RADDA), Greater Kuching Coordinated Development Agency (GKCDA), and Mid-Rajang Regional Development Agency (MiRRDA).
“These 901 projects include 894 physical infrastructure developments, and seven non-physical initiatives focused on capacity building and socio-economic upliftment.
“As of April this year, 82 projects have been completed, while 819 are actively progressing at various stages,” he said.
Additionally, he said that a sum of RM6.0 billion has been allocated under Alternative Funding to finance projects spearheaded by the Northern Regional Development Agency (NRDA), the Highland Development Agency (HDA), the Upper Rajang Development Agency (URDA), and the Integrated Regional Samarahan Development Agency (IRSDA).
“To date, RM3.19 billion has been disbursed under this mechanism, resulting in the successful completion of 601 projects,” he added.
