Hardcore Poor Becoming Too Dependent On Handouts Says Minister

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Sabah Rural Development Minister Ewon Benedick says under a new initiative, the government will introduce a small-scale rural tourism programme at selected villages for residents to generate income. (Facebook pic)KOTA KINABALU: Many of those listed as hardcore poor under the government’s eKasih programme have become too dependent on handouts, said Sabah Rural Development Minister Ewon Benedick
A large number of eKasih recipients want to remain on the list despite getting all types of aid, he said when replying to Matbali Musah Lumadan (Umno-Lumadan) during question time at the state assembly
He said besides getting money and daily necessities, they want to be eligible for other assistance programmes under eKasih
Under the eKasih system, the government is better able to plan, implement and monitor poverty eradication programmes
“The ministry will improve the poverty eradication programmes so that it will really serve the target group
“I will lead the programme by ‘turun padang’ (going to the ground),” Benedick said
Under a new initiative, he said the government will introduce a small-scale rural tourism programme at selected villages for residents to generate income and also receive assistance for basic infrastructure
This programme will be a collaboration with the state tourism, culture and environment ministry, he added
Benedick said the state Cabinet had agreed that the state Economic Planning Unit study the incidence of hardcore poverty in Sabah, with the help of the Sabah Institute of Development Studies and Universiti Malaysia Sabah
The ministry is still waiting for this year’s figures from the Household Income Survey by the Statistics Department, he added
Earlier, he agreed with Matbali’s opinion that bureaucracy and leakages had made it difficult to eradicate hardcore poverty in Sabah

“The state government envisions elevating the quality of life in rural areas and bringing down the poverty rate in Sabah to below the 1% mark by 2020.” -FMT

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