PKD-NADI Coordination Plan Should Be Finalised Within A Month - Ahmad Zahid

CYBERJAYA, Sept 7 (Bernama) -- The collaboration between the Rural and Regional Development Ministry (KKDW) and the Communications Ministry on coordinating the Rural Community Centres (PKD) and National Information Dissemination Centres (NADI) must be finalised for Cabinet consideration within a month.

Deputy Prime Minister and Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said issues involving human resources, assets, finances, programmes, data sharing and service schemes must be resolved within that period to ensure they do not hinder the coordination of the two ecosystems.

“We must jointly establish a clear timeline, schedule, division of responsibilities and outcome indicators.

“I hope that after this workshop, Datuk Seri Fahmi (Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil) and I can sit down and finalise the Cabinet memorandum between our ministries for it to be presented to the Cabinet within a month from today,” he said at the opening of the PKD-NADI Strategic Collaboration Workshop here today.

Ahmad Zahid said the coordination should be based on mutual understanding and respect to ensure that agreed decisions translate into effective implementation.

Ahmad Zahid also called for the agreed PKD-NADI ecosystem to be maintained even if there were changes in ministers or government in the future.

“The secretaries-general of the Communications Ministry and KKDW, please do not change what we agreed on at today’s workshop once it has been endorsed by the Cabinet,” he said.

He also stressed that PKD-NADI coordination should be viewed as more than simply bringing two platforms together, but as creating an ecosystem capable of strengthening rural development and local economies.

He said the rural economy should no longer be regarded merely as a complement to the national economy, as rural areas possess their own talent, products, land, heritage and resources that can be developed into economic strengths.

“Our responsibility is to connect all this potential with broader economic opportunities,” he said.

-- BERNAMA