KUALA LUMPUR: The Sabah government has agreed to revive the Sabah Padi and Rice Board as part of the initiatives to boost food production and ensure food security in the state.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the revival of the Board was imperative since Sabah currently imports about 70 per cent of its rice needs.
"Sabah needs to boost its food self-sufficiency and we will be able to do it with the revival of the Sabah Padi and Rice Board," he said.
"The State Cabinet will submit the recommendation to the Head of State for the approval of the establishment of the Sabah Padi and Rice Board as stipulated in Section 3 of the 1981 Agriculture Produce Board Enactment," he said at the Chief Minister's Department post-cabinet meeting at Menara Kinabalu today.
In July last year, Hajiji said Sabah's rice self-sufficiency level (SSL) is expected to increase to 60 per cent by 2030 with the revival of the board.
He said Sabah's rice SSL is at 22 per cent while 78 per cent of the state's rice needs are met through imported rice from countries such as China, Vietnam, Thailand and Pakistan.
Meanwhile, on another matter, Hajiji said the state cabinet has also agreed to give special permission to investors operating in industrial parks in the state to set up power generation facilities for their own use.
"This move is important to attract investors and sustain those already in operation
affected by electricity issues," he said.
Hajiji said as part of its bid to ease the power demand in Sabah, the state cabinet has also decided to allow shop houses, buildings and residential premises to install solar power systems without seeking approval from Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB).
On the Sabah My Second Home programme (SBH-MM2H), the state government has also approved the age limit of applicants to 30 years above and allowing participants of the programme to sell their property after five years on condition they must purchase a new home valued at no less than RM600,000.
Hajiji said under the new policy, appointment of the SBH-MM2H agents must be from local Sabah companies.