By Zaki Salleh
IPOH: In the commitment to strengthen the economic agenda, the Perak state government also understands the need to fortify the citizens facing the increasing cost of living pressures.
Therefore, it welcomes the efforts of the Federal Government to give special attention to the agenda of eradicating hardcore poverty.
Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad stated that, in this context they are diversifying initiatives and implementing special monitoring for poverty eradication.
This includes making the eradication of hardcore poverty a mandatory agenda in District Focus Group Meetings and Individual Countdown Focus Meetings.
“The One Stop Centre program will gather all participants under one roof to implement assistance coordination.
“In addition, we advocate for comprehensive people’s welfare programs in every district,” he said during the opening of the Perak Economic Outlook 2024 here.
This forum received a great response with the participation of over 700 attendees, including department heads, district officers, local authorities, industry representatives, think tanks, experts, and academics.
According to Saarani, the state government’s approach has already shown success as the hardcore poverty rate in 2022 recorded a decrease, specifically 0.2 percent compared to 0.5 percent in 2021.
At the same time, he mentioned the need to cultivate more talent to meet industry demands and provide quality job opportunities.
“This is done through close collaboration with government agencies and the industry.
“This commitment can be seen through the details of the Perak Budget 2024, outlining various initiatives to empower the people,” he said.
