PUTRAJAYA (Jan 21): The Rural Development Ministry (KPLB) will focus on the infrastructure and economic development of the rural population in the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).

Its Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun said rural areas need to be equipped with a high-quality digital infrastructure to enable rural communities to generate income through digital platforms.

“We need to increase the use of technology among the rural entrepreneurs and in the field of agriculture to make it more efficient and profitable,” she said when delivering the ministry's New Year 2020 mandate recently.

The 12th MP will be implemented from 2021 until 2025.

Meanwhile, Rina wanted all village community centres (PKD) in the country to be strengthened stressing that as the ministry's agents at the grassroots level, the services provided at PKD could have a direct impact on the local.

Focus would also be given towards developing new economic resources with trickling effects such as rural tourism, she added.

Rina said there were many attractive rural areas which have the potential to be developed thus opening up employment and business opportunities to the locals.

She hoped that beginning this year, the development of socio-economic and human capital of the rural community would be fully implemented so that after 2030, they would no longer be associated with poverty.

Rina said a sum of RM8.415 billion was allocated to KPLB this year, involving a development allocation of RM5.224 billion and RM3.192 billion allocation for management.

She said a total of 77 programmes would be used as the ministry’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) this year, with allocation totalling RM4.67 billion to benefit 1.158 million recipients.

“It is our responsibility to ensure that the programmes and its allocation are properly spent to strive towards the vision of Luar Bandar Sejahtera (Prosperous Rurals) outlined in the DPLB 2030 (Rural Development Policy) and the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030,” she said.