Federal govt urged to expedite BALB projects

KUCHING: Minister of Utilities and Telecommunications, Datuk Seri Julaihi Narawi, urges the federal government through the Rural and Regional Development Ministry (KKDW) to expedite the implementation of the Rural Water Supply Project (BALB) in Sarawak.

The National Audit Department’s report is one of the audit reports referring to the management of the BALB project funded by the federal government through KKDW.

“For your information, all pre-contract processes including the appointment of consultants, Value Management Lab, tender invitations, tender evaluations, contract awards, and contractor appointments are fully managed by the federal government through KKDW,” he said in a statement.

“However, many projects have been delayed due to bureaucracy and lengthy procedures,” he said.

For example, a total of 12 BALB projects approved between 2016 and 2018 have taken a considerable amount of time, and construction has not yet commenced as reported in the audit report.

“I would like to emphasise here that the pre-contract processes, as mentioned earlier, are entirely handled by KKDW, and the Sarawak Rural Water Supply Department is only involved in project oversight,” said Julaihi.

The issue of delays in implementing the BALB projects funded by the federal government through KKDW has been raised and explained by him several times during the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly sessions in November 2023 and May 2024.

He further stated that these delays have resulted in planned projects not being executed according to schedule as outlined in the Sarawak Water Supply Master Plan and Grid.

“This has also affected the people of Sarawak who have been waiting a long time for water supply in their respective areas.”

He sincerely hopes that the federal government through KKDW will seriously consider the audit report.

Julaihi also suggests that allocations for BALB projects under KKDW should be directly channelled to the Sarawak Rural Water Supply Department as the implementing agency, using Sarawak State government’s project implementation procedures and protocols.

“This is to reduce bureaucracy and lengthy procedures, thereby accelerating project implementation so that the people of Sarawak can enjoy the planned water supply,” he said.