Govt reactivates meetings between EPUs and state EPUs

KUALA LUMPUR, 22 Mei -- Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan merasmikan Mesyuarat Agung Dewan Perniagaan Melayu Malaysia (DPMM) ke 51 di sebuah hotel hari ini. --fotoBERNAMA (2017) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA

PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Government has reactivated the strategic meetings between the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) in the Prime Minister’s Department and state Economic Planning Units (state EPUs).

Minister in the Prime Minister Department, Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan, said the meetings would serve as a platform to coordinate efficient economic development planning, especially in the states.

He said the meetings, which had been held between 1998 and 2012 between the two agencies, were crucial in ensuring the socio-economic development of the states was on the right track and in line with the current national development agenda.

“The meetings will be held twice a year to improve communications between the EPU and state EPUs and other government agencies to share knowledge and experience on national development projects.

“We will give a new lease of life to these meetings. We should not only discuss the applications for the programmes and development projects but a wider scope, especially formulating and implementing policies and development strategies” he said when delivering his mandate before the strategic meeting on Monday.

Abdul Rahman also asked the EPU to provide detailed data and statistics on socio-economic affairs of the states, especially unemployment and inflation so that the government could understand the real situation.

“This way, the state EPUs will be more capable and will have an effective and detailed delivery. It will also ensure that the planning of programmes and development projects for the rakyat will be more focussed and given proper importance,” he said. - Bernama