Go on green: ‘Traffic light’ grading system for all local authorities from next year, says Nga

PETALING JAYA: The country’s 156 local authorities will be evaluated under a performance-based “traffic light” grading system from next year, says Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.

This initiative aims to enhance the quality of public services by local authorities, he told the media after an event in Papar, Sabah on Monday (Sept 16).

Nga said the ministry aimed to see that all expenditures by local authorities are justified based on ROI (return on investment) and cost-benefit analysis.

“All 156 local authorities must adhere to specific SOPs including feasibility studies to prevent inefficient projects and… optimise expenses,” he said.

Under the “traffic light” system, local authorities will be assigned green, yellow, or red lights based on their performance.

According to Nga, green denotes “high performance, eligible for additional funding”.

Yellow means “warning issued, funding allocations to be reviewed”.

A red light signifies “poor performance, leading to rejection of funding applications”.

“We will engage with the relevant authorities to understand why they failed to meet their KPIs,” he added.

At the event, the 31st Sentuhan Kasih programme by his ministry, Nga allocated RM13.2mil for 31 public infrastructure and socio-economic development projects in Papar and Kimanis.

This includes the development and upgrading of projects for public infrastructure and housing to improve the well-being of residents.

Also present were Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister and Papar MP Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, and Sabah Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe, who is the Luyang assemblyman.