KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 — The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is pushing for the immediate development of the Smart Padi system and to have it used earlier than initially planned by the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM) and Padiberas Nasional Berhad (Bernas).

Its chairman, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said this would ensure that the integrity of farmers’ data and allow the rice subsidy payments to be made more transparently, efficiently and in an organised manner.

"The PAC has also been informed that the Key Performance Indicator report on the implementation of 10 social obligations have been developed and prepared twice yearly,” she said in a statement today, adding that the committee wanted the report to be prepared quarterly for ever year to ensure Bernas complied with its implementation.

She also stressed that the KPKM had to ensure the compliance of the social obligations throughout the concession period and that the trust account was maintained well and the funds used was in accordance with conditions set under the concession agreement between Bernas and the government.

The PAC also presented its report on the Finance Ministry (MOF) and the KPKM’s follow up actions on the committee’s recommendations regarding the National Padi and Rice Industry Management Concession Agreement’s social obligation payment receipts (DR 7/2023) today, she added.

Mas Ermieyati said today’s report was to announce the follow up actions taken by the KPKM and that the committee had provided comments on each of those actions.

"The PAC also conducted a proceeding on the matter on March 11 and the witnesses who attended included MOF Treasury (Investment) deputy secretary-general Datuk Shahrazat Ahmad; KPKM secretary-general Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali and Padi and KPKM Padi and Rice Industry Division secretary Datuk Azman Mahmood,” she said.

The public can read the PAC’s report on its website at www.parlimen.gov.my/pac. — Bernama