SHAH ALAM: The Selangor state government aim to increase the contribution of agriculture industry to the state’s economy from 2 per cent to 10 per cent in five years.
Its Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said that maximizing the economic potentials of agriculture on the state’s land is the focus of the 2015 state budget that was discussed in a dialogue today.
“We have conducted our study and found out that there are many unused lands in the state which we can utilize to our benefit and eventually contribute to the state’s economy.
“The state is also planning to encourage urban agriculture in constricted environments such as housing areas, condominiums and other premises and make the state greener as well as more environmentally friendly,” he said after attending the state 2015 budget dialogue ceremony here, today.
Khalid added that the state’s upcoming budget would also focus on efficiency of water management and the execution of its affordable housing plan.
“Our first phase of affordable housing initiative will start construction this coming August and we want these houses to be build in phases so that the future occupants will have time to plan their family and future with the specification of the house.
“The state government is also planning to train local, unemployed youths who might be able to take on the maintenance works for the houses while we provide them with a unit in the area for their stay and we have requested for village chiefs in the state to start submitting the names of youths suitable for the job,” he said during his speech.
On the appointment of PKR state legislative assembly members that has yet to be completed, Khalid said that the state government decided to delay the appointment until the PKR party election is completed.
“We do not want to give opportunity for people to abuse their powers as there are many leaders contesting in the party election. We will delay the appointment until the election is settled,” he said.
