Ministry Eyes More Perks Under Malaysia's Budget 2017 To Automate Commodity Sector - Minister Mah

PUTRAJAYA (Malaysia), Sept 20 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities hopes the 2017 Budget would offer more incentives to automate the commodity sector, said its Minister Mah Siew Keong. He said the ministry received requests, especially from the downstream industry, to help boost productivity and reduce dependence on foreign labour. "The worker shortage issue is a problem for all industries in the commodity sector. For example, the rubber industry needs about 16,000 foreign workers now. "Thus, the ministry emphasises the need to automate the sector to avoid over-dependence on foreign workers," he said. Mah said this after the ministry's dialogue session with representatives of the commodity industry here Tuesday. The two-day dialogue involves 94 associations and industries in the upstream and downstream sectors of the commodity sector. Mah said one of the issues raised at the dialogue session was the harmonisation of the crude palm oil export rate between Malaysia and Indonesia via the Council of Palm Oil Producer Countries. He said Malaysia and Indonesia would discuss the matter after getting feedback from industry players. --BERNAMA