Negeri Sembilan on right track to becoming developed state

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A view of Seremban, Negeri Sembilan's capital - FILE PIX
SEREMBAN - Negeri Sembilan under the administration led by caretaker Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun is seen to be on the right track to becoming a developed state, according to an expert.

Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Muamalat, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) Dr Umi Hamidaton Mohd Soffian Lee said this was shown by the fact that the state's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was expected to grow between 4.6 per cent and 5.5 per cent for the period 2021 to 2025 compared to 2.1 per cent from 2016 to 2020.

"The study found that a one per cent increase in the state's GDP has the potential to increase revenue by 0.8 per cent.

"The cooperation of the state government with the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) and the Centre for Future Labour Market Studies (EU-ERA), among others, has also made Negeri Sembilan the first state to launch the State and District Input-Output Table as a database for the interests of state development," she told Bernama.

She said the efforts showed that the state government had given a high commitment to transforming its economic planning methods towards empowering and further strengthening the economic base at the state level.

Umi Hamidaton said the state's good economic performance was also influenced by the implementation of policies such as the Negeri Sembilan Development Plan (RPNS) 2021-2025 which focuses on three main elements, namely economic sustainability, the well-being and prosperity of the people and environmental sustainability.

RPNS, she said, would drive the state's future economic development towards being more sustainable, fair and inclusive, involving all strata of society, thus enabling the people to enjoy prosperity in line with the state's modernisation trend.

In order to further boost the effort, she said the state government should also improve existing infrastructure such as roads to facilitate communication networks and access between districts with the potential to expand the local economic sector.

Apart from that, she said priority should be given to the welfare of the people as the drivers of the state's economy, including through housing assistance and social protection as well as incentives for entrepreneurs.

The chairman of the Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia’s (DPMM) Negeri Sembilan chapter, Amirhamzah Karim, meanwhile said Aminuddin’s administration also gave emphasis on the agricultural and animal feed industries and did not neglect the small and medium entrepreneurs.

"This includes cash assistance of RM3,000 through Tabung Usahawan Negeri Sembilan (TUNS) to micro traders in addition to the TUNS Plus initiative with a maximum amount of RM18,000 to finance working capital for entrepreneurs.

"In addition, the Halal Cottage programme which has so far produced more than 40 small entrepreneurs who operate from home have got halal certification with a grant not exceeding RM5,000," he said, adding that he hoped that 1,000 entrepreneurs would receive the certification by 2025 - BERNAMA