Save money and not spend excessively. That’s the right message for all. Pan Borneo Highway is a very important connectivity project. The total length is 872km and this project connects Tawau in Sabah all the way to Telok Melano in Sarawak. Having travelled in car for a few trips from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu and back, I can safely say that this highway will be extremely important and will do a lot for the communities along the route. “Now everyone can travel” easily from Sabah to Sarawak. Tourists will also have more options of visiting more towns instead of relying only on flights. Currently, travelling will take too much time and definitely not comfortable at all.
There is news that the cost for this Pan Borneo Highway may have been a tad too high. Sabah State Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Peter Anthony said it’s possible to save RM2 billion if the state takes over the job. He said, “There were issues on questionable quality (of the work) and doubts over the way the project was carried out in terms of material use and thickness of the road, for example. All these evidence support the need for restructuring or enhancement for Pan Borneo. For the savings aspect, I believe it can potentially even be up to RM2 billion after new improvements are made to the project.” Full article in dailyexpress.com.my
RM2 billion is a huge amount. If this is indeed the potential savings, then the state government could do a lot more with the savings. It should also be transparently showed to everyone where the savings actually come from. Then, all other state governments could learn too and the whole nation benefits in all future developments. Happy following.
written on 7 Dec 2018
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