Intelligence ALaRMS Boosts Efficiency in LMBB Royalty Collection in Limbang (Part Three)
Lands Tahai Q Hybrid Ta’rom began implementing Intelligence ALaRMS on 1 March 2021, following three to six months of ensuring that the work process and online system ran without difficulties during its trial.
The result from carrying out the system in a real-world setting, to put it in the KIK hybrid team’s word, “shocked” them, especially with royalties collected from LMBB being higher than what they expected.
In particular, LMBB royalty collection in Limbang Division in 2021 was RM1,568,627, an increase from a mere RM118,952 in 2020. Of the amount in 2021, RM799,372 was collected from government projects.
A key contributing factor to Intelligence ALaRMS’s effectiveness and efficiency lies within the aforementioned sharing of information between JTS and JKR.
It is especially helpful for the enforcement team of JTS to monitor development projects involving earth filling; thanks to information regarding quantity of earth required for a project shared by JKR, JTS can be more thorough when evaluating contractors intending to apply from LMBB.
Needless to say, with Intelligence ALaRMS, Lands Tahai Q Hybrid Ta’rom believed that royalty collection of LMBB can be increased through bolstered enforcement and enhanced monitoring quality, subsequently generating more government revenue.
This is evident with the encouraging outcomes of the innovation project in Limbang Division since its implementation, including achieving four key targets that the KIK hybrid team had set:
- Solved 97 per cent of frequency of problem causes versus the 80 per cent target
- Succeeded in collecting RM799,372 in earth licence royalties for government projects, exceeding the initial target of RM62,370 with an increase of 25.6 times compared to 2020
- 100 per cent of JKR-supervised projects (17 earthworks completed projects) use legitimate sources
- 100 per cent target achieved in increasing the level of awareness among contractors regarding earth acquisition through legitimate sources.
As they assessed these highly impressive outcomes, the team saw potential impactful benefits the system could bring should it be carried out and expanded not only by JTS and JKR, but also relevant technical agencies throughout Sarawak. These benefits include:
Government Revenue Increase: Implementing Intelligence ALaRMS across Sarawak will increase royalty collection and in turn boost government revenue. Based on Limbang Division’s achievement of an increase by 11.7 times, royalty collection revenue in Sarawak could rise up to around RM83.1 million annually.
Development for People’s Well-being: Increase in government revenue will indirectly boost development in Sarawak that are geared towards meeting the needs of the people.
Environmental Sustainability: With Intelligence ALaRMS, illegal removal of earth can be controlled in a more organised manner. Licenced earth source will ensure earth removal is conducted based on set procedures; dirt from earth removal activities can be cleaned by local authorities; and road damages can be repaired by JKR through the collection of security deposits.
Through the system, up to 374 licenced earth sources yearly are expected to be under the regulation of JTS in Sarawak, with security deposit collection estimated at around RM7.48 million per year.
Service Delivery Efficiency: Intelligence ALaRMS will support JTS and other technical agencies to manage development projects more efficiently. Demand and supply of earth for earth filling in the market can be controlled more systematically. Subsequently, the system can improve the reputation and image of government agencies thanks to enhanced service delivery.
Moving forward, efforts to standardise the use of Intelligence ALaRMS in all divisional offices have been agreed by the management, with virtual briefings with JTS and JKR being held to facilitate the standardisation.
Utilisation of the innovation has also been agreed to replicate its use for project information sharing (earth filling component) to the Engineering Section of JTS, Northern Region Development Authority, Limbang District Council and Department of Irrigation and Drainage Sarawak Limbang Division.
