Locals urged to take up prospects provided via Igan Bridge
SIBU: People living along the coastal area are urged to tap the potential of impending economic growth when the approved Igan Bridge project in Mukah is built.
The RM305- million project, coupled with good road connectivity, would boost the coastal area economy, according to Daro assemblyman Safiee Ahmad.
“Many small towns along the coastal area which have long existed with the villages could become nuclei of great economic development.
“This is because the small towns and villages along the coastal area have long been playing their roles as collection and distribution centres for agro and sea-based products.
“Thus, I urge the local people in and around Matu, Igan and Mukah to take the opportunity to play a more active economic role which would boost the development of their surrounding area,” he told reporters here recently.
On April 20, Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg announced the approval of RM305 million for building the 1.8km bridge. The project is currently undergoing the tendering process.
Abang Johari is also reported to have said that the bridge which is expected to be completed by December 2020 would not merely open up opportunities and have an economic impact on the Matu community, but also for nearby areas like Daro and Semop.
The bridge is expected to not only expedite development but also facilitate connectivity within the districts of Matu, Igan and Mukah. In this light, Safiee, who is also the former director of the enterprise development division of Sarawak Economic Development Corporation ( SEDC), said the project is very much welcome.
He also said people in Daro, Semop and Matu are hoping to get the proposed Batang Paloh Bridge and Batang Lassa Bridge promptly built.
“The bui lding of the two bridges will further accelerate the development along the coastal area, more so under the Sarawak Corridor Of Renewable Energy (SCORE) which starts from Tanjung Manis up to Samalaju in Bintulu,” he pointed out.