KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) has established a committee to coordinate the implementation of 500,000 units of affordable housing for the duration of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).

Its minister, Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said the committee would monitor the implementation and provision of housing supply by 15 housing provision agencies, in addition to the ministry, state governments and the private sector.

"From the targetted 500,000 affordable housing units under the 12MP, the ministry plans to contribute 20 per cent, which is around 100,000 units," he said during the winding up of the Supply Bill 2022 at the policy level at the Dewan Rakyat today.

He said besides the committee, the National Affordable Housing Council (NAHC) is also a platform to monitor the construction of affordable housing in the country.

The ministry is continuing its efforts to identify the causes behind Malaysians' inability to afford homes in line with the 12MP strategy of increasing the supply of affordable housing to target groups, he said.

Also, Reezal Merican said the ministry would pay attention to housing projects for B40 and M40 groups throughout the country to ensure that they were more inclusive and with complete infrastructure.

On the People's Housing Projects (PPR) in Sabah, he said 33 projects had been completed in the state, for a total of 23,009 units, while five more projects, totalling 3,090 units, were still under construction so far.

Overall, the number of completed PPR projects in Sabah represents 21.4 per cent of the total PPR units built in the country with 3,897 units unfilled, he added.

In other developments, he said the ministry was drafting a policy regarding the transition of solid waste management towards a circular economy that will emphasise on sustainable consumption and manufacturing practices after realising the need to create a holistic solid waste management system.

He said the effort would reduce the generation of solid waste in the long term and reduce the costs of solid waste management, thereby contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"By encouraging a circular economy and to reduce waste at landfills, the ministry is targeting to increase the national recycling rate to 40 per cent by 2025," he said.

-- BERNAMA