Digital initiatives to contribute RM56.4bil to Sarawak’s GDP by 2030

Digital initiatives to contribute RM56.4bil to Sarawak’s GDP by 2030

24 May 2023

The Sarawak premier predicts 45,000 new high-paying jobs will be created, with 80% of its micro, small and medium enterprises adopting digitalisation.

Digital economy initiatives undertaken by the Sarawak government are expected to contribute RM56.4 billion to the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030.

Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg said the figure will represent about 20% of the state’s GDP by that year as more than 45,000 new high-paying jobs would be created, with 80% of its micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) adopting digitalisation.

“By 2030, there shall be no distinction between the digital economy and the economy.

“All segments of the economy, namely mining, agriculture and forestry, manufacturing, construction, and services, would be digitally driven.

“Ultimately, this will enhance productivity, yield efficiency and generate high-skilled jobs for our people,” he said when winding up the motion of thanks for the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak’s address in the state assembly today.

He said the state government had formulated the Sarawak Digital Economy Blueprint 2030 as the road map to transform the state from a conventional resource-based economy to an environmentally sustainable technology-driven one.

According to him, the blueprint is anchored on five strategic pillars covering economic priorities, digital businesses, public sector transformation, frontier technologies adoption and digital readiness.

“The blueprint targets Sarawak to tap a percentage of the global digital economy to flow into Sarawak through strategies to grow cross-border data flow by establishing data centres, digital services delivery and digital foreign direct investments,” he added.

Source: Bernama