KOTA KINABALU: The state assembly has unanimously approved the establishment of a Sabah Special Trust Fund as a vehicle to place annual federal development funds that could be withdrawn if unused.
State Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said that the annual unused funds would be taken back if the project faced delays.
"It could instead be placed under the trust fund to ensure the completion of the identified project that might have been delayed for various reasons," he said, adding that they were still in negotiations with the Federal Government.
"The state government's Special Trust Fund is established as an initial preparation to put the federal allocation in case the Federal Government agrees not to withdraw any of the current financial year's allocation if it is not used up," Masidi said.
Under the trust fund, Masidi said its main allocations will come from the state government's annual expenditure and that it can also receive donations from government agencies, corporate bodies, non-governmental organisations as well as from individuals and philanthropists.
The trust fund involved the amendment of the Sabah Government Trust Fund Enactment (Sabah Cap.9) the Enactment Schedule.
He said the amendment was in line with the requirement of Section 10(1)(b)(i) Financial Procedure Act 1957," he said.
He said the trust fund was also to cover any lack of allocation to be channelled to ministries, departments, district offices or state government agencies that will implement the following programmes and activities:
- Natural disaster prevention and recovery programmes which include flood disasters, typhoons, fires, earthquakes, landslides, droughts, disease outbreaks and epidemics.
- Poverty eradication programmes.
- Programme for the provision of social service facilities which includes the provision of learning equipment facilities and health equipment.
- Infrastructure and utility services that include the construction, rehabilitation and upgrading of bridges, roads, slopes and other support facilities including the provision of electricity, water and sewerage utilities.
- Any expenditure approved by the Special Committee that is not included in the matters mentioned such as aid to disaster victims such as flood and fire victims.
He said the Sabah Finance Ministry would administer and control the trust fund.
"The establishment of this trust fund is important to ensure that the state government has sufficient funds to cover any lack of allocation, especially in ensuring that the state development programmes are implemented smoothly, including to comfort the people when they are in distress and in need of immediate assistance," he said.
Responding to the debates of assemblymen, he said it was clear that all assemblymen including the opposition were focused on their interest to develop Sabah and also ensure all the federal allocation for Sabah reaches the people.
"We hope all 25 Parliament members in Sabah will speak in one voice for the sake of developing Sabah. We have different political views but we have one view and that is we all love Sabah," Masidi said in welcoming opposition leader Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal (Warisan-Senallang) promised to push it in Parliament as Semporna MP.
Masidi said one of the issues is to ensure all federal allocations announced were to be used up to the last seen in the state.
Masidi also assured that the trust fund will be in compliance with the treasury instruction still stands.
"It is not a shortcut for us to use the money as we like. We skip several procedures that sometimes become problems for us to speed up implementations," he said.
