PUTRAJAYA – The policy paper on Progressive Wage Policy will be tabled at the National Economic Action Council in August, said Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli.
He said the Progressive Wage Policy, developed by his ministry and the Human Resource Ministry, is aimed at ensuring wage growth that is more inclusive and encouraging the generation of better income.
“Even if the government focuses 100% on the price of goods, but without efforts and initiatives to raise people’s wages commensurately, the community will continue to struggle with the cost of living,” he said in a press conference here today.
Rafizi said focusing on people’s wage growth will be the main theme in the country’s economic planning under the upcoming Malaysia Plan, apart from helping to address people’s living costs.
Meanwhile, to ensure food supply continuity, Rafizi said his ministry, through the People’s Income Initiative, is in the process of implementing agricultural and nutrition projects on government-owned land throughout the country with a total area of 404.7ha (1,000 acres).
Without going into details on the overall cost of the project under the Farmer Entrepreneur Initiative (Intan), Rafizi said that the effort would indirectly help the B40 group to get involved in agriculture.
Besides the provision of land under the Intan model, the government will also assist in providing construction infrastructure such as greenhouses and land clearing.
“It is expected to benefit 4,000 beneficiaries in the future with a ratio of a quarter acre or half an acre for each person,” he said, adding that the Intan model also involves the cooperation of federal and state agricultural agencies. – Bernama, June 28, 2023
