THE Sarawak Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Masterplan Study 2026-2035 is expected to be completed in March 2026, providing a comprehensive framework for public-private partnership implementation.
Second Minister of Finance and New Economy, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, said the government is currently formulating the PPP Masterplan that will serve as a comprehensive framework to guide PPP implementation in Sarawak.
“This will offer tailored strategies, institutional guidelines, and actionable steps to support Sarawak’s broader development agenda,” he said when delivering his ministerial winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting today.
Uggah, who is also the Deputy Premier, said in today’s rapidly evolving economic landscape, governments face mounting challenges in financing and delivering large-scale infrastructure projects.
“Traditional public funding alone is often insufficient to meet rising demands, prompting the search for innovative solutions.
“Therefore, we should also need to explore and tap into private sector funding to implement public invested projects in partnership with the government,” he said.
To ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the government procurement, Uggah said the government revised the procurement policies and procedures for state-funded works, supplies and services.
“One of the significant revisions is the increase of financial limit for direct appointment of consultants for physical development projects excluding survey works from RM10 million to RM50 million.
“This applies to all Ministries, Departments, Statutory Bodies, Local Authorities, and Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in Sarawak,” he said.
He added the increased financial limit and authority for the appointment of consultants is a strategic initiative that balances control with flexibility.
“With proper governance mechanism that is already in place, this delegation of authority will contribute significantly to better project outcomes, institutional agility, and more effective public service delivery across Sarawak,” he said.
On a related note, he said the state e-Procurement System Stage 1 covering e-Direct Purchase is completed, with remaining stages expected by December 2025.
He further said the state remain committed to implementing the ‘“Competitive Contractor” programme to increase the participation of Bumiputera contractors in government projects through competitive bidding.
“Under the programme, 456 contractors have been selected, implementing 130 projects worth RM79.8 million,” he said.
He said initiatives like the Bumiputera Entrepreneur Development Program (PUTERA), Entrepreneurship Incubation and Mentorship Centre (PIBU), financial schemes, and furniture vendor programmes continue to enhance contractor capacity.
“By third quarter of this year, Bumiputera contractors secured 54.2 per cent of state-funded projects, totalling RM2.7 billion,” he said.
Uggah then said training programmes remain ongoing, with 110 courses benefiting 5,931 participants as of November.
