Govt to allocate RM15bil for Green Tech in 11MP

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is allocating more than RM15bil in the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP) as part of a game-changing move to introduce green technology initiatives into the economy. 

Director-General of the Economic Planning Unit Datuk Seri Dr Rahamat Bivi Yusoff said about RM3bil to RM4bil annually has been set under the 11MP to create environmentally-sustainable development. 

The 11MP, outlining the economic growth plans between 2016 and 2020, will be announced in May.

Rahamat Bivi said there would be a wider implementation of green growth related initiatives to ensure continuity between the current Malaysia Plan and the upcoming 11MP. 

"Green will part of the whole planning process. 

"The main focus is on sustainable consumption and production, which promotes doing more and better with less, meaning that high productivity and quality with less resources and very minimal pollution," she told reporters after the opening of the Towards Green Growth in Malaysia Conference here today. 

 Among the attendees were United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Malaysia Resident Representative Michelle Gyles-McDonnough and British High Commissioner Victoria Treadell. 

Rahamat Bivi stressed the need for greater commitment from state and local authorities as well as the private sector and the public to ensure greener growth. 

"The society and people at large will also need to play their part, particularly in terms of their lifestyle and daily practices," she added. 

Meanwhile, Gyles-McDonnough said UNDP is committed to supporting Malaysia's efforts to advance the green growth agenda from planning to implementation in the 11MP by putting the green growth model into practice at the subnational and local levels. 

The two-day conference was organised by UNDP, in partnership with the UK government. - Bernama