Honing villagers’ interest, skills for business

SIPITANG, April 4 (New Sabah Times) -- The Rural Development Ministry will focus on the interest and skills of villagers that can be honed for business.

Its Minister Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan said that the skills could be developed with the assistance of the ministry and government agencies so that these villagers would able to venture into business.

“If their skills are unique to a particular village, then those skills can be developed,” he said adding that such effort would add in improving the standard of living of rural folks especially the poor.

According to Pairin, who is also a Deputy Chief Minister, with dialogues and exhibitions held, it would generate interests among rural folks to go into business with their given skills.

He said that there were many aspects that had to be looked into and they included loan borrowings, training and business premises.

Pairin was speaking to reporters at the opening of a dialogue with small-scale entrepreneurs and an exhibition by small-scale entrepreneurs here yesterday.

Also present were Assistant Finance Minister Datuk Sapawi Ahmad who is also Sindumin assemblyman and the ministry deputy permanent secretary Abdul Razak Walli and district officer Abdul Wahab Abdul Hamid.

Pairin said that efforts like a dialogue were the first-step taken to gauge feedbacks from the people.

“Once they have a clearer picture on how to go about it, we will assist in other aspects,” he said.

Some 500 people from Sipitang, Beaufort, Kuala Penyu, Membakut and Menumbok attended the dialogue.

Three working papers were also presented by the Federal Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister, Rural Development Ministry and Federal Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry.