KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Rural Development Ministry has submitted a proposal to the State Cabinet for a new agency to be created under it.
Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick said the agency would be tasked with facilitating poverty eradication in the state.
“We will hold discussions with the Chief Minister. I’m confident he will consider,” he said in response to a supplementary question from Jamawi Jaafar (Warisan-Kemabong) at the State Legislative Assembly here yesterday.
He said the ministry also held discussions periodically with the federal Rural Development Ministry on mechanisms to empower the implementation of minor rural projects with allocation from the latter.
“Among the issues discussed at the first meeting was upgrading of roads to industrial and rural tourism centres,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sabah Education and Innovation Assistant Minister Jennifer Lasimbang said the state recorded a total of 112,100 unemployed persons in 2018.
She said the ministry through the state Labour Department was committed to helping job seekers and reduce unemployment rate in Sabah.
“Through job carnivals held in 2019 between January until June, 10,440 successfully found employment,” she said in reply to Matbali Musah (Bersatu-Lumadan).
She said the ministry also stepped in to assist job seekers by organising job carnivals in Kota Belud (March 2), Tenom (March 9), Beaufort (April 6), Ranau (April 13), Kudat (April 20), Kunak (April 21), Kinabatangan (April 27) and Sipitang (April 29).
“The labour department has also planned to hold outreach programmes in rural areas, bringing along employers who are ready to offer jobs to youths and job seekers,” she said. — Bernama