KOTA KINABALU: The government should return some of the earnings from Semporna's vibrant tourism sector for the district's development, says Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
He said Semporna is among the biggest revenue contributors for tourism activities and should get back something to develop the industry further.
"In my area, we have a lot of tourists but unfortunately, we do not get much in terms of funding," the Semporna MP said after officiating Warisan's Semporna division meeting here on Sunday (Dec 3).
"The federal government, or at least the state, should give us more funding to upgrade facilities, repair dilapidated buildings and amenities, among others," said Shafie, who is also Warisan president.
He said Semporna contributes a lot in terms of annual revenue and income tax to the government due to the tourism industry there.
He said repairs to amenities like bridges or jetties had to be borne with his allocation.
"This makes it difficult for Semporna to improve its tourism sector," Shafie said.
