KOTA KINABALU: Sabah needs to focus on three measures in effort to double its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for the state next year, says Usukan State Assemblyman, Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak.
Firstly, he said, Sabah must focus on attracting high-quality investments from foreign and domestic companies into the state through various investment strategies and policy initiatives amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Secondly, he said in order to transform Sabah into a competitive economy, the state must increase its productivity level, developing more high value downstream activities and creating new industries through active private sector involvement.
“For example, in agriculture, we need to increase quantity and quality of our food produce for high value downstream food processing products for domestic consumption and export market,” he said when debating the 2022 Sabah Budget at the State Legislative Assembly, here today.
Final measure, the former Sabah Chief Minister said: “We should emphasise on improving ease of doing business in the state”.
This is to facilitate domestic investment (DDI) and making Sabah an investment destination of choice for foreign investors (FDI).
“For example, by establishing Sabah Inc. as a one-stop agency for investment.
“We want also must make it easy for investors to get into Sabah as well as making it easy for factories to be relocated to Sabah, he added.
In addition, Salleh urged the state government to adopt ‘Sabah First’ Concept as well as controlling export and supply of raw materials and resources
He also proposed that the state government Promote Sabah Economic Autonomy – whereby legal, policy and investment approval decisions can be done at Sabah State Government level.
