Ways offered to beat flaws in Sabah's Mesej programme

KOTA KINABALU: The Auditor-General's Report 2017 has submitted several recommendations to the Ministry of Rural Development of Sabah (KPLBS); Sabah Land Development Authority (LKTNS); and the Keningau District Office (PDK) to overcome the weakness of the implementation of the Mini Estate Prosperity (Mesej) Programme in the state.

It aimed to increase the efficiency of the Mesej programme in the future, especially since the initiative for oil palm cultivation among participating smallholders had yet to achieve the objective of raising the income and quality of life of the participants (smallholders), based on the audit conducted between June and August this year.

Among the recommendations were to review the plans and prepare the guidelines for the Mesej programme's development plan in terms of timing and suitability for land development; provision of basic housing and infrastructure as well as the selection of participants to ensure that it was in line with current needs and the budget allocated.

All three organisations were told to review the participants and the areas they cultivated to ensure that the yields they had, and the salaries received were enough to remove them from the hardcore poor category, thus achieving the programme's objective.

The audit report also recommended that PDK resolve the issue of selecting participants within reasonable time and set criteria to ensure that the target groups enjoyed an improved quality of life from the programme.

It added that the ministry in charge should also be responsible for allocating expenditure under poverty eradication so that the programme's actual spending could be measured.

"Appointed committees should enhance coordination to resolve immediate issues as well as implement the effectiveness of the Mesej programme," the audit report said.

All the recommendations were raised following the audit findings that the programme's management for oil palm cultivation was less efficient especially in terms of selection, placement of participants and monitoring. There were still participants earning income below the poverty line despite participating in three to eight Mesej programmes.

"A total of seven estates that had been equipped with housing and basic amenities did not achieve the target number of participants,” the report said.

The audit report also mentioned the income of 10 participants of the programme in Bunang 1 in Keningau, were still under the poverty line.

According to the audit report, the delay in the placement of the participants at the Mesej Kampung Bunang 2 did not benefit the target group.Bernama