KOTA KINABALU, Aug 10 — Sabah’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 3.7 per cent in 2022, with a value-added amounting to RM81.9 billion, surpassing 2021’s RM79 billion, the Sabah state legislative assembly was told today.

Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Abidin Madingkir said the positive growth was driven by a significant increase in the services sector, which is the main contributor to Sabah’s GDP, at 49.5 per cent with a value-added of RM40.6 billion.

He said the 8.6 per cent growth in the services sector was driven by the improved performance of the main subsectors, namely the wholesale and retail trade subsector, food and beverage and accommodation, followed by the government service sector and the utility sector, transport and storage as well as information and communication.

"Despite being the second largest contributor to Sabah’s overall GDP, which is 24.8 per cent with a value-added of RM20.3 billion, the mining and quarrying sector showed a decline in growth of 1.3 per cent in 2022, compared to 3.2 per cent in 2021.

"The contraction of this sector is influenced by the decline of its main sub-sector, which is crude oil and condensate, to 4.4 per cent and the natural gas sub-sector by 8.4 per cent,” he said in response to an oral question from Datuk Hassan A Gani Pg Amir (GRS-Sebatik) regarding the main industries contributing to Sabah’s revenue.

Abidin added that Sabah’s agricultural sector recorded a value-added amounting to RM12.5 billion in 2022, which is a decline of 0.2 per cent.

"However, the growth of this sector is better than the 2.2 per cent decrease recorded in 2021. The agricultural sector is the third largest sector in Sabah with a contribution of 15.2 per cent to the overall GDP of Sabah.

"The oil palm sub-sector dominates the agricultural sector in Sabah with a contribution of 9.6 per cent to Sabah’s overall GDP, followed by the fisheries sub-sector (2.5 per cent), other crops (1.3 per cent) and livestock (1.0 per cent),” he said.

The manufacturing sector recorded a negative growth of 2.5 per cent with a decrease in value added to RM5.8 billion compared to RM5.9 billion in the previous year.

"The decline in this sector is due to the contraction in the subsector of oils and fats from vegetables and animals, food processing, beverages and tobacco products and the subsector of wood products, furniture, paper products and printing,” Abidin said.

He said the construction sector grew at a rate of 6.2 per cent compared to 7.9 per cent in the previous year and this sector recorded an increase of RM2.5 billion compared to RM2.4 billion in 2021.

"This growth is supported by the consistent performance in the construction subsector, civil engineering and special carpentry construction activities,” he said. — Bernama