KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 — The Works Ministry (KKR) estimates that some 30,000 jobs will be created in various fields, especially the construction sector, next year.
Its deputy minister Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup said the job opportunities will be offered under the Short-Term Employment Programme (mySTEP) and Professional Training and Education for Growing Entrepreneurs (PROTÉGÉ) which will begin in January 2022.
“Under the 2022 Budget, we (KKR) want to boost the construction sector to create employment opportunities for locals, especially the youth,” he said on the “Selamat Pagi Malaysia” programme broadcast by RTM’s TV1 channel today.
Therefore, he said industry players need to use technology and mechanisation for the implementation of construction projects in line with the transition of the construction industry in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) in order to attract interest and create more employment opportunities for locals.
According to him, it will also reduce dependence on foreign labor in the long term.
Apart from that, he said the mandatory condition for contractors who obtained government contracts exceeding the threshold value of RM10 million, which requires an allocation of one per cent of the contract value to implement the PROTÉGÉ programme, would also boost employment opportunities in the construction sector.
Meanwhile, he said that the government would continue with high -impact development projects worth RM3.5 billion, among them the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway (LPB) and Central Spine Road, in an effort to stimulate the country’s economic recovery.
Arthur said the government would also continue to implement small and medium projects worth RM2.9 billion earmarked for G1-G4 contractors nationwide and allocate RM200 million for small-scale projects specifically for Bumiputera participation.
“For 2021, RM200 million has been allocated for the Maintenance Contractors Development Programme involving 564 G1-G4 contractors, namely 337 from the peninsula and 227 from Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan,” he said.
In Budget 2022, KKR received RM7.3 billion which includes an operating budget of RM823 million while the development budget is RM6.48 billion.
— Bernama
