KUCHING, Oct 19 — Sarawak is capable of doubling its GDP from RM140 billion last year to RM282 billion in 2030 as targeted under the Post-Covid Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030), said Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg.

He said this is in view of the vast opportunities for growth in the next seven years.

"The state and world’s economic environment in the decade towards 2030 would see tremendous potential for Sarawak to exploit as the world moves in earnest against climate change and towards sustainability,” he said in his keynote address at a Sarawak Civil Service Retreat in Ipoh, Perak today.

Abang Johari said the situation in the decades prior to his appointment as the chief minister in 2017 were different compared to today where the new world economic order had presented Sarawak with tremendous opportunities that were unavailable before.

"We have to look not only at the state and national perspective but also at the global perspective to know our potential,” he added.

In his speech, Abang Johari said Sarawak must add value to its resource strength which could be exemplified by the development of hydrogen for export by 2027 as the world transitioned into clean energy in order to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

In addition, he said Sarawak’s sources of revenue would also include carbon trading as vast areas of forest were being developed as carbon sinks to be traded as carbon credit to offset carbon sources in other countries.

"The downstream development of the state’s oil and gas resources to produce methanol and ammonia would add further to Sarawak’s sources of revenue,’ he added.

He said if Sarawak could increase its income by one-fold from RM5 billion annually to RM12 billion in 2022, there was no reason why it could not double its GDP to RM282 billion by 2030.

Drawing inspiration from US President John F Kennedy’s vision of landing a man on the moon as well citing the success of China and Japan in becoming giant economies, Abang Johari expressed his confidence that Sarawak could achieve its target so long as the state civil service and political leadership set out to implement PCDS 2030 and the recently launched Sarawak Digital Blueprint as one united team.

"If you and I can work together, we can do it,” he said.

He pointed out that with an expanded revenue, Sarawak would invest in infrastructure, including seaports, to create an environment conducive to the enhancement of the service and agricultural sectors.

"With the economy expanding, only then Sarawak would have the capability to triple its median household income from the current RM5,000 to RM15,000 in 2030 in order to address the gap between the national and state’s average,” he said.

As Sarawak’s financial standing strengthens, he also noted that the state would have to save part of its revenue for the benefit of the future generations through the Sarawak Sovereign Wealth Future Funds (SWFF).

During the event, Abang Johari also witnessed the signing of Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) between Yayasan Sarawak and Sunway Integrated Property Sdn Bhd for the development of a modern digital medical village in Samariang, as well as between the Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) and Sunway Integrated Property for the redevelopment of a 500-acre Bukit Assek water-logged area in Sibu into a modern and thriving township.

Earlier, State Secretary Datuk Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki spoke to present findings on various issues affecting Sarawak’s development under PCDS 2030 and on issues concerning the Sarawak civil service.

Around 150 heads of department and senior officers from the state civil service attended the annual retreat.

Also present were Deputy Premier Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, state cabinet ministers and their deputies. — Borneo Post