Kota Kinabalu: State Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the barter trade activities in Sabah remain active and operational since reopening in 2016.
He said his Ministry processed eight applications for barter trade activities in 2024, of which six have been approved, while two are scheduled for approval in early 2025. All processed applications are for operations in Sandakan.
“Based on available records, no applications have been received for barter trade activities for Tawau and Kudat in 2024,” he said, adding this indicates that barter trade activities are still limited to specific areas, which requires further attention and monitoring.
He was replying to a question from Datuk Jaffari Waliam regarding the status of the barter trade in Sabah.
In another development, Masidi explained that the State Government is committed to prudent and responsible financial governance principles.
“Every allocation spent by the Government must have a maximum impact on the wellbeing of the rakyat. Therefore, we have established holistic and transparent financial management guidelines for all ministries, departments and government agencies,” he said.
According to him, the Government has also introduced expenditure management strategies based on the State’s financial capacity and strengthened monitoring systems.
“This is an important step to ensure that every sen of public funds entrusted can be used wisely,” he added. With tight monitoring, the Government hopes to avoid waste and ensure that every expenditure truly benefits the people.
Replying to Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal’s question regarding office space rental, Masidi said the State Government is aware and concerned about the issue of government departments and agencies renting office space in private premises.
“Although there are government-owned buildings with empty spaces, such as Wisma Tun Fuad Stephens and Menara Tun Mustapha, the decisions to rent private premises are based on several significant factors,” he said.
These factors include the suitability of operational locations, technical specifications needs and the physical condition of government buildings, most of which have reached several decades of age and require high maintenance costs.
“We want to ensure that the choices made are the best for everyone,” explained Masidi.
He emphasised that the Government takes the issue of revenue leakage seriously when allocations are used to rent private buildings while at the same time, government office spaces are not fully utilised.
“Therefore, several steps are being taken to optimise the use of government assets,” he said.
Measures being implemented include conducting comprehensive audits and mapping of all state-owned buildings, including premises owned by government-linked companies (GLCs). “This aims to identify spaces that can be used or rented out to generate additional revenue for the State Government.”
Additionally, he said the Government will enforce a policy that prioritises the use of state-owned assets before considering renting private assets. “The rental period for these spaces will also be limited to three years to ensure more efficient usage,” he added.
Masidi also mentioned that the Government is prepared to develop maintenance and upgrading plans for government buildings in phases. “We want to ensure all government premises are in good condition and suitable for occupancy.”
In the context of revenue leaks, the Minister emphasised that this issue is not new and has persisted for a long time.
“The State Government takes this matter seriously and is committed to implementing effective measures comprehensively to ensure that state revenues can be optimally collected,” he said.