"UP TO NOVEMBER 10 THIS YEAR, SABAH RECORDED AN EXPENDITURE OF 78.04 PER CENT (RM16.095B) FROM THE NINTH MALAYSIA PLAN ALLOCATION OF RM20.625 BILLION," - MUSA

9MP projects: Sabah is on track

Kota Kinabalu November 16, 2010: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the State Government is confident of achieving not less than 85 per cent of the overall Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) ceiling by end of this year.

He said the Government has completed 87 per cent of the project implementation.

"Up to November 10 this year, Sabah recorded an expenditure of 78.04 per cent (RM16.095b) from the Ninth Malaysia Plan allocation of RM20.625 billion," he said, after chairing the State Action Committee meeting at Wisma Innoprise.

From the projects' aspect, he said the number of delayed projects has gone down at 66 compared to 117 previously.

According to State Development Office (SDO) Officer, Matusin Sunsang, most of the delayed projects were schools, health facilities and infrastructure, among others.

However, Musa said the number of completed projects has also increased by 96 compared to what was reported during a meeting on Sept. 2.

This scenario, he said, is a positive sign that Sabah is on the right track and would be able to achieve its goal where development project implementation is concerned by end of the five-year plan.

In retrospect, he said there are ministries, government departments and agencies that are still not up-to-date as to updating of its project implementation data.

"This should not have happened because this would give an inaccurate picture on the status of the projects implementation on the field," he said.

Hence, he reminded the ministries, government departments and agencies involved in the implementation of the development projects in the state to pay serious attention to the matter.

He also said they must update the data relating to their projects under the Project Monitoring System II (SPPII) so that it could provide a more accurate picture of the scenario.

Apart from that, Musa also wants the Sabah SDO and Implementing and Co-ordination Unit under the Prime Minister's Department to enhance its role in monitoring through troubleshooting and intervention to identify, overcome and resolve the problems that delay the implementation of development projects in Sabah.

He said the monitoring activities through troubleshooting and intervention must be boldly and firmly implemented so that complex problems could be overcome through joint action by all parties involved.

If necessary, he said the problems should be presented during the State Action Committee meeting to be resolved.

Meanwhile, he urged civil servants, implementing agencies and contractors to cooperate to implement the responsibility entrusted to them.

"Only through this way, we can ensure the objectives in the development plan of the Ninth Malaysia Plan could be achieved," he said.