Finance Ministry mulls over automation programmes

The Finance Ministry is mulling over the use of levy from foreign workers for programmes and efforts to encourage automation and innovation in various industries, says Finance Deputy Minister Datuk Othman Aziz.

He said the view was one of the suggestions brought up in the '2017 Budget Focus Group Meeting: Accelerating Human Capital Development', which was chaired by him at the ministry here Tuesday.

"The suggestion was made as one of the efforts to reduce dependency on foreign workers.

"All parties believe it is not good to be highly dependent on foreign workers and we have to balance our economy needs and the country's security," he said.

Othman said the paper on problems and obstacles in managing dependency on foreign workers in the country was tabled by representatives from the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Other papers tabled at the meeting involved technical, vocational, education and training (TVET) and on how to produce graduates and talent with skills that fulfil the demands and needs of the current job industry.

Participants at today's meeting included representatives from the public and private sectors, universities, associations and NGOs.

The ministry, in a statement on the meeting said the government was committed to intensifying measures and programmes to further improve and strengthen human capital.

Among the aims of such efforts was to better manage the foreign workers, it added.