PETALING JAYA: High-impact infrastructure projects will spur the nation’s economy as it recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, says Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

       “The government will continue developing high-impact infrastructure projects worth RM3.5bil such as the Pan-Borneo Highway and the Central Spine Road, which will facilitate economic recovery in the country,” he said.

       When tabling Budget 2022 on Friday, Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz announced that RM3.5bil was allocated for infrastructure projects, among them the Pan-Borneo Highway and Central Spine Road.

       He also said the government would continue implementing small and medium projects worth RM2.9bil that would target Class G1 to G4 contractors across the country.

       In a statement, Fadillah said the small and medium projects mentioned by Tengku Zafrul involved the maintenance of roads, overhaul of obsolete infrastructure and equipment of public universities, polytechnics and community colleges as well as other projects involving social amenities in rural areas.

       The Pan-Borneo Highway is a road network on Borneo island connecting Sabah and Sarawak with Brunei and Kalimantan in Indonesia.

       The Central Spine Road project is a 306.8km road project with wildlife protection in mind, located across Kelantan, Pahang and Negri Sembilan, and it is scheduled to be fully completed in 2026.

       Fadillah also said that the construction sector plays a vital role as the nation gets ready for the endemic phase of Covid-19.

       He said several initiatives were being prepared by the government to ensure continuity in the construction sector, such as having small-scale projects worth RM200mil for bumiputra contractors.

       He also noted that the government had allocated RM746mil to upgrade dilapidated buildings at 112 schools in Sabah and 165 schools in Sarawak.

       Budget 2022 has a total allocation of RM332.1bil, the largest ever for the country.