KUCHING: Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah urged the PWD to address inefficiencies causing delays, stressing the need to deliver projects on time, within budget, and to a high standard.

Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah today urged the state Public Works Department (PWD) to address outdated practices and inefficiencies that are causing delays in public projects.

The execution of PWD projects this year has been unsatisfactory, he said.

"There are four terminated projects and 11 critically delayed projects," Uggah said at the launch of an inaugural Sarawak PWD Building Information Modelling (BIM) Day.

Two of the projects are state-funded while the rest are federal-funded, he said.

Uggah, who is also Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development, said the PWD team with the ministry need to study the root cause contributing to project delays.

The state government has entrusted PWD with RM1.3 billion worth of projects next year, adding that if its performance is less than perfect, it can quickly be irrelevant to its clients.

"You must be ready to face the challenge to deliver on time, within budget with quality and safety," he said.

Uggah said BIM is an essential tool in the construction industry, allowing stakeholders such as architects, engineers, contractors, and clients to access up-to-date project data and information throughout the implementation process.

"Conflicts and issues in the design can be detected and resolved early," he added, noting that BIM helps to eliminate costly errors and reduce rework.

"This not only saves money but also ensures that the construction process proceeds smoothly, helping to deliver the project on time and within budget," he said.

Uggah said as the pioneers in BIM implementation in Sarawak, PWD has the opportunity — and the responsibility — to lead by example, adding that by demonstrating the benefits of BIM, it can inspire the wider construction industry in Sarawak to adopt this transformative approach.

"For the government, this means more effective management of public assets and for the people, it means safer and better-maintained infrastructure," he said.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/12/1145846/uggah-urges-pwd-tackle-issues-delaying-public-projects