Sabah's financial performance among the best in Malaysia - Musa

 
No one can deny this fact: Sabah's financial is well manage.

The World Bank may said that Sabah is one of the poorest states in Malaysia. It depends on which side you are looking at it. For me, Sabah is now on the right path to become one of the best states in Malaysia.

Read through the news articles below. Those who were skeptical with Sabah & its current government's ability to bring itself to another level, should start opening their eyes & see all the facts that they choose not to believe.

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Sabah Faring Better : CM

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah ministries and government agencies have shown improvements in their respective financial management practices ever since the Financial Management (Accountability Index) was implemented by the National Audit Department in 2007.

This is evidenced by the clean certificate (Sijil Bersih) given to the State Government for its excellent public accounts for the past 10 years between 2001 and 2010, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

"I am happy to note that at present, Sabah's financial performance has been recorded as among the best in Malaysia," he said at the Asean Supreme Audit Institutions (Asean-SAI) dinner at the Pacific Sutera.

He expressed strong belief that the establishment of Asean-SAI can help Sabah achieve a democratic, transparent and viable community by closing any violation of accepted ethics, thus helping Sabah move towards further development.

Congratulating Auditor General of Malaysia, Tan Sri Dato' Setia Ambrin Buang and all officials from the Supreme Audit Institutions of Asean member states for their excellent work, he said there was a time when Sabah's economy depended strongly on timber.

However, he said this is no longer the case today, as Sabah pushed for sustainable forest management practices that will safeguard its natural ecosystem services in perpetuity.

 Over the decades, he said Sabah slowly diversified its income base by venturing into new sources, such as oil palm and rubber.

"Along with the oil and gas sector, we are placing emphasis both through Federal and State initiatives to move into offering value added products and services from these sources," he said.

He said since Sabah is a major grower of oil palm in the region, the palm oil sector is one it is particularly focusing on.

On this, Musa said Sabah has established what is known as the Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) in the east coast districts of Lahad Datu and Sandakan.

He said POIC is continuing to draw investors, both from Malaysia and overseas.
Sabah, he said is also focusing on manufacturing, and another key area of the economy is tourism, in particular eco-tourism.

He noted that tourist arrivals in Sabah rose by 13.6 per cent to 2.84 million in 2011 compared to the previous year.

Since 2003, he said the State Development Agenda has been driven by agriculture, tourism and manufacturing and that Sabah is starting to see the fruits of this long term plan.

He said the world today is different, with society having changed.

Most governments are now expected to balance their regulatory and facilitative functions, he said.

"The public is now more conscious about their role as concerned stakeholders, and who know that as individuals, they can make a difference in the interest of the common good," he said.

Musa said the people are today also more knowledgeable, more responsive, more demanding and more willing to participate in the conduct of governments.

He said the public demands greater transparency and good governance, and this calls on the government to share with them how it is doing, including its financial management.

"A government that is responsive to demands of the people is a government that is more capable in overcoming challenges," he said.

Present were Chairman of Asean of Supreme Audit Institutions cum Chairman of Audit Board of the Republic of the Republic of Indonesia, Drs. Hadi Pornoermo and Auditor General of Brunei, Pengiran Abdul Rahman Pengiran Mat Salleh.

Read More: http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=80636