SANDAKAN: The Sabah Rubber Industry Board (LIGS) yesterday started paying up some outstanding dues to rubber tappers in the state.
LIGS however, denied that payments had been outstanding for up to four months to the rubber tappers as claimed on Monday by the President of the Sabah Bumiputera Farmers and Stockbreeders Association (Petanah) Gaibin Ransoi.
The overdue payment was only for a period close to three weeks, Chairman of LIGS Datuk Zakaria Edris told Bernama today, adding that no more than that amount of time was overdue.
The delay in payment to the tappers was not on purpose, and in fact there had been a delay in payment to LIGS from the Singaporean company that buys rubber from LIGS, he explained.
“LIGS is aware that the rubber tappers are dependent on the income that comes from industry and the payment was not delayed on purpose,” he asserted.
He said this when asked to comment on Gaibin’s statement, who on Monday had urged that the payment due to the rubber tappers throughout the state be sped up.
He had said that the overdue amount was for four months.
LIGS is the main buyer of rubber produced by rubber tappers in the state including those who come under a large scale rubber planting scheme in Tenom and Sipitang.
The scheme was undertaken by LIGS to help the poor in the rural areas.
Zakaria also urged rubber tappers in the state to increase their rubber production amid the rising price for the commodity.
He also gave assurance that while there could be delays, the payment for all rubber taken from the smallholders would be fully settled. — Bernama