Nanta Receives Call From Norwegian Lecturer On Enhancing Sustainable Growth

KAPIT, Oct 23 (Bernama) -- Minister of Works and Kapit Member of Parliament, Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, today received a courtesy call from Western Norway University of Applied Sciences lecturer, Dr Hans-Jacob Roald at the Kapit Resident's Office.

The visit aimed to strengthen cooperation between Sarawak and Norway in the field of sustainable urban development and regional planning, in line with the state government's efforts to create balanced and sustainability-based development in rural areas.

According to Nanta who is also Upstream Rajang Development Agency (URDA) chairman, this bilateral relationship follows the working visit of a Sarawak delegation to Oslo and Bergen earlier this year led by Sarawak Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

"Among the main topics discussed during the visit was the Kapit Master Plan which was formulated to guide the future development of Kapit in a sustainable and inclusive manner," he said in his welcoming speech at the event.

He said the plan was led by the Regional Corridor Development Authority (RECODA) in collaboration with Sarawak Economic Planning Unit (EPU), in line with the Sarawak Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030) which emphasises sustainability, inclusiveness and balanced regional development.

Kapit, located in central Sarawak with a population of over 60,000, is now growing rapidly following the completion of the Sibu-Kapit Road, but faces new challenges including congestion, development space constraints and the need for planned infrastructure.

“To overcome these challenges, the Kapit Master Plan outlines the transformation of the town as a model of sustainable development with an emphasis on mobility, quality public spaces, community facilities and the preservation of local cultural identity,” explained Nanta.

He said that during his several-day visit to Kapit, Dr Roald, who is also a renowned Norwegian architect and urban planner, also inspected several major projects including the upgrading of Jalan Bleteh, the construction of Jalan Bukit Goram/Nanga Yong and the development of the former Kapit Airport area to assess the potential and challenges on the ground.

Nanta also expressed confidence that Dr Roald's expertise in the field of urban planning and sustainable development would help strengthen the implementation of the Kapit Master Plan to meet international best practices without neglecting local needs.

"On behalf of the Sarawak Government and URDA, I would like to express my appreciation for his willingness to share his knowledge and experience, which will certainly strengthen the good relationship between Sarawak and Norway towards sustainable and balanced development in the Hulu Rajang region," he said.

-- BERNAMA