RM 11 BILLION TO DEVELOP PUTRAJAYA

KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 (Bernama) -- RM11 billion. That's the cost to develop Putrajaya, the new federal government administrative centre. To be exact, it is RM11,831 million.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi disclosed this in a written reply in the Dewan Rakyat to Liew Chin Tong (DAP-Bukit Bendera) Wednesday.

He said it covered the construction of government offices and quarters, the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) and the official residences of the prime minister, deputy prime minister, ministers and judges.

"Apart from that, it also covered the development of infrastructure such as tunnels, roads, bridges, towers as well as public amenities like parks, squares and lakes," he said.

Abdullah said the government offices in Putrajaya were constructed under the build, lease and transfer method. Putrajaya Holdings constructed the buildings on government land, leased them to the government for 25 years at a monthly charge of RM2.50 per sq ft and, at the end of the concession period, transferred the buildings to the government.

The prime minister said the government paid Putrajaya Holdings an annual rent of RM929.7 million last year. It had paid RM878.1 million in 2006, RM732 million in 2005 and RM434 million in 2004.