Kota kinabalu: The President of the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO), Datuk Ewon Benedick, has called for improved collaboration between the Federal and state governments and implementing agencies to ensure the timely completion of development projects under Budget 2026. He emphasized the need for better cooperation to address delays often caused by issues such as land acquisition. According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ewon stressed that previous large-scale projects have faced significant delays, urging for enhanced coordination among the Federal and state governments, implementing agencies, and technical departments. This improved cooperation is deemed necessary to ensure the successful execution of planned development projects within the current year. Ewon expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for the allocation of RM6.9 billion to Sabah, highlighting that this does not account for small and medium-scale projects to be implemented by various ministries, including the M inistry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (KUSKOP). He also acknowledged the substantial focus on the development of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), with a RM50 billion loan financing guarantee for these enterprises. During the Halal Franchise Conference 2025, organized by Perbadanan Nasional Berhad (Pernas) and KUSKOP, Ewon revealed that his ministry received an additional allocation exceeding RM1 billion for the next year. He anticipated more initiatives to be channelled to the ministry, further increasing the allocation for the upcoming year. Ewon encouraged the people of Sabah and Sarawak to engage actively in the entrepreneurship and cooperative sectors. This involvement would enable the ministry to provide more necessary financing, thus boosting economic activities in East Malaysia.