Score Aims To Reduce Poverty

kuching: the sarawak corridor of renewable energy or score, due to be launched on monday, would help reduce poverty and ensure a balanced distribution of income among the people in the state. prime minister datuk seri abdullah ahmad badawi said the regional economic development corridor would have a direct and indirect impact on the household income, particularly in the central region of the state. “the development of priority industries within score will have significant economic spillover effects on sarawak’s economy, creating opportunities for the development of small-medium industries and the services economy. “all this will help reduce the incidence of poverty. score is designed to be balanced, realistic and, above all, achievable,” abdullah noted in his pre-launch message in the special booklet on score. the prime minister is scheduled to launch the development project that stretches over the entire central region of the state, right up to the kalimantan border. abdullah said score was formulated in accordance with the main thrusts of the national mission, the ninth malaysia plan and the third industrial masterplan, thus forming an integral and vital part of the country’s overall development strategy. “today, malaysia faces many challenges as it seeks to evolve into a fully developed country. “with increasing competition brought about by the forces of globalisation and liberalisation, it is imperative that our economy has strong fundamentals and remains resilient to face these challenges. “sarawak is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and has much to offer, particularly if its natural strengths and assets are fully optimised and given the opportunity to flourish. in this way, sarawak’s overall competitiveness will be strengthened and prosperity better distributed.” abdullah revealed that score would focus on the optimal utilisation of natural energy resources through the development of energy-intensive industries, with the greater participation of local and foreign investors. he gave an assurance that environmental sustainability would be maintained throughout the course of developing the central region by careful planning, control and regulating the utilisation of land and other resources. “backed by sound economic management and strong governmental support, sarawak, and by extension, malaysia, has the potential to become one of the most preffered investment locations for resource-based industries among both local and foreign investors,” he said. chief minister tan sri abdul taib mahmud said score, which encompasses the mukah-bintulu coastal zone, tanjung manis, sibu, kapit, sarikei and the hinterlands, would transform sarawak by 2020. “essentially, score will act as a catalyst for the growth and development of the central region. “the corridor would capitalise on the abundance of energy resources such as hydropower, coal and gas, as these are pre-requisites for the development of energy-based industries that require relatively cheap electricity. “others, including the timber-based industries, oil palm, planted forests and tourism, would continue to be aggressively developed and promoted. “these should generate business and employment opportunities and other multiplier effects within

the state, and beyond,” taib said. while welcoming greater investments from within and outside the country, the chief minister pledged that the people and the government of sarawak were fully committed to ensure the success of score. the sarawak aluminium company (salco) in similajau, one of the early birds in score, is, by itself, expected to provide about 5,000 jobs in the next two years. sarawak energy berhad, the state’s energy conglomerate, is widely expected to ink a multimillion-ringgit power purchase deal with sime engineering — the contractor turned operator and concession holder of the bakun dam. sarawak energy is then likely to sign a separate power-supply agreement with salco.