Sarawak will not raise electricity tariff, says premier
KUCHING, June 23 — The state government will not raise the electricity tariffs, despite being the lowest in Malaysia, Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said tonight.
He said if the tariffs are too high, foreign investors will not come to Sarawak.
“If it is too high, the contractors will find it hard to pay their bills,” he said at a dinner held in conjunction with the annual general meeting of the Sarawak branch of the Malaysian Malay Contractors Association.
The premier said the state has sufficient supply of electricity from its Batang Ai, Murum and Bakun dams and soon from the Baleh dam.
He said another dam will be built in Trusan in Limbang Division.
He said this means that the state has energy generated from hydropower and gas.
“Our electricity can be said to be one of our strengths in our efforts towards the developed state by 2030,” he said.
Abang Johari, who is also the state minister of finance and new economy, said he is confident that the target for Sarawak to be a developed state by 2030 can be achieved if the state gross domestic products (GDP) grows at a rate of between six and eight per cent per annum.
He said the projection for this year’s growth is six per cent.
“If the people continue to work hard and we have a clear direction, I feel the growth rate of between six and eight per cent can be achieved,” he said.
“If this growth continues until 2030, I am confident that Sarawak will become the most developed state in Malaysia by 2030.
“But this requires vision and a new direction and new ways of working. We must have new ideas and we must see what are our strengths and where are our weaknesses,” he said.
