Felcra to go big into entrepreneurship
ALOR STAR: The Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Felcra) will expand its entrepreneurial programmes to create alternative income for its 85,000 participants nationwide.
Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal said Felcra is looking into ways to help its participants venture into business to supplement their main source of income from working in rubber smallholding and palm oil plantation.
He said for this purpose, Felcra would prudently exhaust the RM240 million allocation provided to the authority under the 2013 Budget, which was tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in Parliament last month.
"The government is concerned with the welfare of Felcra participants that it has doubled the amount of allocation compared to the RM100 million in the previous Budget.
"Felcra is looking into several activities, including entrepreneurial programmes for our participants.
"The authority is going to use a portion from the Budget to go big into entrepreneurship to help our participants to generate more source of income," he told reporters after he attended the handing over of house keys ceremony to 91 Felcra participants in Bukit Tampoi, Kuala Nerang, about 40km from here yesterday.
The 91 units of the three-bedroom house, which cost about RM4.09 million, were built under the second phase of Felcra's village re-settlement programme at the area.
Shafie also said Felcra would work closely with the International Trade and Industry Ministry in its mission to produce entrepreneurs among its participants.
"Felcra wants our participants to be less dependent on their main source of income. This will help them improve their livelihood.
"Who knows, they will be successful entrepreneurs with products supplied to the global market."
Asked if Felcra has identify any business activities for its participants, Shafie said the authority was looking into several options.
Shafie also said Felcra would continue to work closely with neighbouring countries such as Indonesia and Thailand to promote the use of natural rubber and stabilise the price of the commodity.
"This effort has been going on for years and we would continue to do so," he said.
Source : New Straits Times
Date : 10 October 2012
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