ID :
35881
Tue, 12/16/2008 - 15:08
Auther :

WORLD ECONOMIC CRISIS:INDEPTH STUDY ON REAL IMPACT NEEDED

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 (Bernama) -- An indepth study on the long-term impact of the world economic crisis is needed so that proactive strategies and pre-emptive measures can be taken by the government to ensure long-term development plans are not disrupted, a senator suggested in the Upper House of Parliament Monday.

Senator Effendi Norwawi said an integrated effort was needed
to make sure development plans, such as Vision 2020, which needed high and
continuous commitment to realise the ambitious vision.

"I suggest we need a strategic national plan and a National Mission
master plan defining the targets and a clear implementation schedule," said
Effendi when debating the 2009 Budget.

He also suggested the formation of a National Development Council headed by
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to serve as the main platform to
monitor implementation of the National Mission.

"This is to ensure all available resources in the country are pooled to the
optimum," said the former Special Functions Minister in the Prime Minister's
Department in-charge of the Economic Planning Unit (EPU).

The National Mission from 2006 to 2020 has five core thrusts including
increasing value adding in the national economy, upgrading knowledge capacity,
creativity and innovation and to foster a first-class mentality among the people
in efforts to transform Malaysia into a developed nation.

Effendi also proposed the formation of a permanent task force under the
National Development Directorate comprising experts and a team of professional
implementors.

"The directorate must be activated soon with the Malaysian Development
Institute be entrusted with the task of deciding the country's macro strategic
direction and conducting research on the National Mission," he said.

Effendi said the directorate will serve as the strategic planner,
implementation and execution coordinator that will cooperate with all related
agencies.

With a clear accountability and adequate resources, this team will be fully
responsible to the prime minister and the National Development Council
to draw up a strategic plan for the planning, implementation and to help in the
day-to-day carrying out of the planned initiatives," he added.

-- BERNAMA

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