Najib asks NCIA to intensify ‘Suriaku’ and Padi Estate Management Programme

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PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has asked the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) to intensify and expand its solar project, ‘SuriaKu’ and the Padi Estate Management Model (EMM) in the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER).

The prime minister said the projects, which had succeeded in raising the income and standard of living through its pilot project in Pauh, Perlis and Seberang Perai Utara, Penang should be expanded to other states in the corridor for the benefit of the people.

The matter was brought up by Najib when he chaired the 19th NCIA meeting here yesterday, NCIA Chief Executive Datuk Redza Rafiq told a media briefing on the NCER’s six-month performance results here yesterday.

Redza said the prime minister was happy with the success of the two initatives, especially SuriaKu, which had raised the income of participants by RM400 to RM700 a month, depending on weather conditions, said Redza.

“The prime minister also wants EMM to be implemented outside the Muda Agricultural Development Authority area after it has successfully increased padi yield up to six tonnes per hectare with an estimated income of about RM1,400 per tonne,” he said.

Redza said the NCIA aimed to attract 300 more participants from the bottom 40 per cent of the households (B40) for the SuriaKu project from 21 households at present, while the number of farmers taking part in the EMM from 1,067 would also be increased.

SuriaKu is an initiative introduced by the NCIA to help low-income group in the rural areas increase their household income by generating solar power to be sold to interested companies, and eventually lift them out of poverty.

Earlier, Najib witnessed the signing of four agreements on the development programmes worth RM960 million in the NCER.

Themed ‘Regional Development Beyond the State Border’, the documents involved the Kuala Muda Selatan Area Farmers Association (Kedah), Temasek Growth Sdn Bhd (Perak), FigDirect Sdn Bhd (Perlis) and Attest Research Sdn Bhd (Penang).

Under the agreements, the parties involved will be formulating innovation imitatives and facilities in the economic corridor to create business opportunities for the people, while strengthening the logistics system, as well as improving the people’s lifestyle.

On the NCIA performance for the first half of 2016, Redza said it had attracted RM4.47 billion in investments, with the largest portion from the manufacturing sector.

“The amount has surpassed the 50 per cent of the RM6.5 billion investment target for the NCER this year and we are confident of achieving it by year-end,” he said.

Redza also said during the period under review, the NCIA created 7,477 jobs for locals, especially skilled workers for the manufacturing and agriculture sectors. — Bernama