Masidi (left) receiving a memento from Benedick during the courtesy visit.
KOTA KINABALU: Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun received a courtesy call from Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick at his office in Menara Kinabalu here, today.
During the meeting, Benedick briefed Masidi on the various Federal agencies that offer services and assistance to Sabah, especially on entrepreneurial development.
Both ministers agreed that Sabah should consider emulating Sarawak’s move to set up a single Federal-State coordinating committee co-chaired by a State Minister and the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister, where officers of all the agencies are represented during periodical meetings.
Masidi said the Committee would also act as a one-stop secretariat to disseminate relevant information to all Sabahans so that they can make full use of the services and assistance offered by the Federal agencies.
According to Benedick, there are 66 Federal agencies involved in entrepreneurial development, each with its own budget allocation, initiatives and programmes catering to their respective target communities and such a committee should streamline all of them to better serve and help the people in Sabah in line with the State Government’s direction.
“However, the setting up of this committee requires the State Cabinet’s decision and I sincerely hope that the matter will be brought up for discussion and a decision can be made soon.
“On my part, I will give full support and cooperation to the State Government to support the state’s agenda,” said Benedick.
