PUTRAJAYA: Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said he will continue to intensify efforts in building greater cooperations with his ministry and industry players in the country.
The plantation and commodities sector, he said, played a significant role in the economic growth of the country contributing five per cent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP).
Johari also praised his predecessor and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof who have made and introduced several initiatives and programmes to stimulate the country's plantation and commodities sector.
"They (Fadillah and his team) have done a good and comprehensive job (in boosting the plantation and commodities sector of the country).
"I think all that I want to do is to strengthen relations between the ministry and industry players irrespective of whether they are representing small and medium-scale enterprises or major companies.
"I want to understand the issues that they are facing. I want to know the policies (that the government could formulate) in helping them to expand their business and subsequently stimulating the plantation and commodities sector in the country.
"These are the matters that I want to engage with them (industry players) since the ministry is their facilitator," he told reporters here today.
Johari, who is the Titiwangsa member of parliament, said it was important for the ministry to engage and facilitate industry players in the plantation and commodities sector to accelerate the country's economic growth.
"When we successfully facilitate the industry players, it will not only benefit the plantation and commodities sector but also the people.
"When their businesses have prospered, it will enable the government to generate more revenue in the form of tax collection.
"The revenue generated will then be used to improve the welfare and livelihood of the people," he said.
Earlier, Johari began his official duties as the minister when he clocked-in at the ministerial building at Presint 2 here at 1.13pm.
The return of Johari as a federal minister was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday in his first ever Cabinet reshuffle.
Johari is taking over the portfolio from Fadillah, who will be in charge of Sarawak and Sabah affairs.
Also present to report for duty on the same day was the new Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin, who was previously the deputy minister at the Agriculture and Cost of Living Ministry.
Present to welcome the arrival of the newly-minted minister and his deputy were the ministry's secretary-general Datuk Mad Zaidi Mohd Karli, deputy secretary-general (Plantation and Commodities) Datuk Zailani Hashim, the other deputy secretary-general (Strategic Planning and Management) Abdul Hadi Omar and staffs of the ministry.