Sabah drafting biomass policy to expand industry potential

KOTA KINABALU - The Sabah Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry is drafting the Sabah Biomass Policy to expand the biomass industry, given its advantages in producing high-value products such as biofuels, bio-pellets and bio-based chemicals in the state.

Minister Phoong Jin Zhe said the state government, via this policy, has proposed to establish a biomass collection centre and appointing a government-linked company to manage this industry.

He said the creation of the collection centre would result in a consistent supply of biomass feedstock which could attract investors to invest in Sabah’s biomass industry.

"Following the drafting of this policy, the state government has also proposed a biomass enactment to ensure that the power to monitor this industry falls under the state government as currently it is not monitored by any parties.

"This venture into biomass has various potentials and can benefit the green energy or renewable energy and their related downstream industries,” he said at the state assembly sitting here, today.

Phoong said this in response to a question from Dr Daud Yusof (Warisan-Bongawan) who enquired about the benefits of green energy, such as biogas and biomass, resulting from the palm industry.

Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of State Youth and Sports Datuk Fairuz Renddan said 2,893 youth entrepreneurs had received financial assistance to launch their businesses through the Youth Entrepreneur Success Scheme.

He said the scheme would be continued and applications would be opened in the near future.

Fairuz was responding to a question from Datuk Annuar Ayub (GRS-Liawan), who asked about the state government’s steps to aid the youth and how many small Sabahan businesses had received halal certification for their products.

The assistant minister said 510 businesses in the state have been halal-certified based on information from the Sabah Islamic Religious Council.

"As many as 398 out of the total (510) businesses are companies handling food premises, followed by 87 food and beverage producers, 13 logistics companies, seven contract manufacturers, three slaughterhouses and two companies producing consumer goods,” he added. - BERNAMA