'No open tender cost Pahang RM2.1bil logging'
Pakatan Pahang assemblypersons said the low price of timber costing the state potential revenue of an estimated RM2.1 billion could have been averted with an open tender system.
PKR Semambu assemblyperson Lee Chean Chung and PAS Beserah assemblyperson Andansura Rabu demanded that Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob explain why the state's pricing was far below that of Kedah's, as an example.
Pakatan Pahang assemblypersons said the low price of timber costing the state potential revenue of an estimated RM2.1 billion could have been averted with an open tender system.
PKR Semambu assemblyperson Lee Chean Chung and PAS Beserah assemblyperson Andansura Rabu ( below ) demanded that Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob explain why the state's pricing was far below that of Kedah's, as an example.
"According to a written reply on a question on Pahang's logging revenue for the period 2010 to 2014, we were shocked because the revenue per hectare was as low as RM1,865.97, and on average was as low as only RM2,551.11," said the duo in a statement.
"This is very low compared to the Kedah logging revenue under the Pakatan Rakyat government, who managed to achieve RM16,000 to RM19,000 per hectare in 2010.
"We predict this vast difference to be due to the fact that Kedah used an open tender system, but logging in Pahang operates on direct negotiations," said the duo.
They said what is more shocking is if Pahang had used an open tender system, based on a lower estimate price of RM15,000 taken from Kedah's experience, the state could have earned for its 168,771 hectares a whopping RM2,531,565,000 in revenue compared to the reported RM430,552,659 for the period in question.
The figures were based on the written reply at the second state assembly last year.
Enough to help 45,635 flood victims
"This means under the Pahang government's present administration, the state of Pahang has lost revenue up to RM2.1 billion that could have been earned from logging," said the PKR and PAS assemblypersons.
The lost revenue, they said, could for example have helped 45,635 flood stricken families with RM46,000 per family, or could have given each Pahang resident RM1,300.
It could have also gone to building 26,262 low cost houses or four new hospitals to the standard of the RM480 million Temerloh Hospital.
Lee and Andansura asked Adnan ( right ) to explain the lack of open tender, and asked him to disclose which companies were holding the bulk of the licenses for the state's logging.
