Several developments have been tipped to take shape in Penampang soon. A food truck site, a night market and a jogging track are on the cards as the Penampang District Office plans to open these new outlets latest by April this year.

This comes while Penampang District Office awaits the gazettement of the newly-improved local plan.

District Officer Luvita Koisun announced these during the swearing-in ceremony of the Penampang councillors on Monday.

The move would make Donggongon more "alive", she said, "as it is dark and quiet during nightfall, except for just some drinking joints."

"We have identified the location for the night market right next to the Penampang General Market and we aim to make Donggongon a hub. "The night market and the business on wheels will occupy the parking space next to the General Market from 6pm to 11pm," she explained.

Also present at the swearing-in ceremony were Assistant Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Joachim Gunsalam, Penampang Barisan Nasional Chairman Datuk Donald Mojuntin, Penampang Umno Chief Datuk John Ambrose, Sabah MIC Chairman Datuk V. Jothi and Sabah MCA Adviser Senator Datuk Paul Kong and Penampang District Council Chief Executive Officer Tang Yang Ming. Joachim was representing the Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

A portion of the parking area will be slotted for the food truckers while the other half will be for the night market traders, with the spaces being able to cater to up to 15 trucks and 30 traders.

Koisun also noted the draft of a parking by-law had also been submitted to the Local Government and Housing Ministry and hoped it would be gazetted this year.

Also on the pipeline, a proposal has been made to set up Penampang's first dedicated jogging track from Donggongon along the Jalan Kepayan by-pass road with the turnaround point set at Padimas Point.

"We have proposed the project and hope to get funding for this soon," she said.

Koisun said these plans will augur well with the Visit Penampang Year scheduled for 2018 for which numerous programmes have been planned by the Penampang Tourism Action Council set up last year.

Koisun also announced the District Office had generated a surplus of RM1.6 million for the financial year 2016 after executing 36 infrastructure upgrading projects valued at RM9.709 million in the same period.