Kuala lumpur: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) has set a goal of increasing state revenue to at least RM10 billion by 2030, GRS deputy secretary-general Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the target will be driven by diversifying revenue sources, including tapping into the Blue Economy, renewable energy, the digital economy and carbon credit trading.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Armizan stated that state revenue is projected to be almost RM7 billion in 2024, with an aim to reach RM10 billion within the next five years. He expressed optimism about achieving and exceeding this target through the outlined strategies during the unveiling of the manifesto at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC).

Armizan, who also serves as the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister, emphasized that higher revenue will enable the implementation of more development projects and effectively address key public issues. He noted that since GRS assumed power in Sabah in 2020, the state’s revenue has shown significant growth, surpassing RM5 billion for the first time in 2021, after more than a decade of stagnation between RM3 billion to RM4 billion under previous governments.

Revenue reportedly rose from RM5.45 billion in 2021 to RM6.96 billion in 2022, followed by RM6.97 billion in 2023 and RM6.84 billion in 2024. Armizan highlighted this as an increase of RM3.25 billion, or 90.5 percent, in 2024 compared to 2020 under the Warisan government.

He underscored that Sabah’s improved revenue and reserves form the backbone of GRS’s manifesto, which outlines its direction and achievements from 2021 to 2025, emphasizing effective economic strategy, fiscal discipline and good governance. Armizan also called on all contesting parties to present realistic manifestos that align with the state’s fiscal capacity for 2026-2030, urging them to demonstrate their performance records, particularly concerning revenue generation during their governance.

The Election Commission has set November 29 for polling and early voting on November 25.