Pehin Sri : Active private sector participation vital in achieving 2020 agenda

KUCHING: Private sector partnership is vital in achieving the development agenda for 2020.
In his Chinese New Year 2011 message, Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud emphasised the importance for the private sector to be committed and actively involved in the development of the state.
“The private sector must be further nurtured to enhance its productivity and competitiveness to be able to take a larger role as the engine of growth,” he said.

Taib said the government will focus on being the growth facilitator to provide basic economic and social infrastructure, as well as an environment that is conducive for business and the quality of life of the people.
“In addition, efforts will also be geared towards improving the industrial infrastructure, transportation networks and logistics system, as well as preparing quality human capital in terms of management skill, technical competencies, creative and innovative human resources to meet the demand of the industries,” he said.
A key focus area under the Tenth Malaysia Plan (10MP) is to increase private investments in the overall efforts to move the state’s economy up the value chain, Taib added.
“Another focus of the 10MP will be the participation of the low-income group in the mainstream of development. This will be carried out through the various poverty eradication programmes and projects,” he said further.
Taib said the successful implementation of 10MP will allow Sarawak to achieve balanced and sustainable development; high sustainable economic growth; equitable distribution of income; and a better quality of life for the people.
“Understandable, the restructuring and transforming of the economy is not something that can be done within a short period of time. We need to think far ahead, perhaps 20 years or more,” he said, pointing out that this requires careful and comprehensive planning as well as strengthening appropriate physical, social and economic infrastructures, and most importantly the development of human capital.
He said among the areas where Sarawak must enhance value-added activities are energy intensive industry, agro- business, food processing, biotechnology, electronic and ICT related fields.
“As the global economy is becoming more challenging and increasingly competitive, the resilience of the state economy in the coming years will determine how far we can attain rapid and sustained economic growth.
“We have to restructure our economic base from being merely a production-oriented economy dependent on natural resources to a more diversified and value-added economy with increasing emphasis on quality, skills and knowledge to drive us to a high income economy,” he said.
He also said that efforts must be made to enhance and upgrade management skills of the workforce in order to remain relevant and resourceful in the competitive global market.
On the development of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE), he said: “My aim for SCORE is to have more than 20 per cent of people get better jobs by 2020. People who are well-trained technically and practical in business are our road to prosperity.”