GOVERNMENT TO CONSIDER LOWER FEE FOR FOOD HANDLING COURSE

BERNAMA; Malaysian National News Agency, Nov 29, 2008 from BERNAMA,

The Malaysian National News Agency KUANTAN, Nov 29 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry will consider reducing the fee for food handling course to ease the burden of food operators and workers involve in the industry, its minister, Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said today.

He said this followed complaints from several associations here which felt that the current fee of RM80 per person was too high and a burden to food operators in having to bear the cost for their workers, most of whom would not stay long at the job.
"The ministry is concern with the problem and I'll instruct the health director to look into ways of reducing the fee," he told reporters after a meeting with members of the Kuantan Petty Traders and Hawkers Association, the Kuantan Chef Association, as well as hotel and restaurant operators here last night.

However, Liow said the government had taken into account the matter by making it compulsory for food handlers to attend the course only once.
On a request from the associations for the ministry to allow employers to conduct their own internal course on food handling for their workers, Liow said it was difficult for the ministry to allow them to do so with many food poisoning cases still occurring in the country.

He said the ministry would also have to study the employers' compliance to the course modules should they be allowed to conduct their own courses.
On another matter, Liow said the ministry would step up enforcement on the smoking ban at five foot ways of shopping complexes.

"The smoking ban along five foot ways only affect those around shopping centres. It does not involve at restaurants and other food premises," he said when asked on the ban which seemed not to be heeded by the public.
Copyright 2008 Bernama

Unit Runding Niaga Ditubuh

Oleh Mahaizura Abd Malik
am@hmetro.com.my
2010/10/01

JOHOR BAHRU: Jabatan Pertanian Negeri (JPN) Johor akan bekerjasama dengan Institut Penyelidikan dan Kemajuan Pertanian Malaysia (Mardi) untuk menubuhkan Unit Perunding Perniagaan bagi menampung masalah khusus berkaitan usahawan asas tani termasuk memberi bimbingan bagi meningkatkan perniagaan golongan itu.
Menerusi unit berkenaan yang akan diselaraskan oleh perunding swasta dilantik dua jabatan itu, ia dijangka dapat membantu usahawan asas tani menjalankan perniagaan mereka mengikut saluran dan prosedur betul.

Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani Johor, Datuk Ab Aziz Kaprawi, berkata kebanyakan usahawan gagal meneruskan perniagaan mereka berikutan kekangan bekalan bahan mentah serta kekurangan modal selain tidak mempunyai kemahiran khusus apabila berdepan sebarang situasi mahupun masalah.

“Dalam satu temubual saya bersama beberapa usahawan, mereka mengatakan tidak tahu bagaimana caranya apabila berdepan dengan situasi genting yang berlaku dalam perniagaan hingga ada yang terpaksa menyerah kalah di separuh jalan.

“Justeru dengan adanya unit ini kelak, saya berharap masalah membabitkan pengembangan perniagaan dapat diselesaikan mengikut saluran yang betul selain membantu meningkatkan cara pengurusan mereka,” katanya selepas merasmikan Bengkel Amalan Pengilangan Baik (GMP) di MPC Wilayah Selatan di sini, baru-baru ini.

Bengkel tiga hari membabitkan 16 pengusaha asas tani dari pelbagai daerah di seluruh Johor itu turut dihadiri Pengarah Pertanian Negeri Johor, Adnan Mat Kasim dan Timbalan Pengarah Pusat Perkhidmatan Teknikal Mardi, Serdang, Selangor, Faridah Mohd Soom.

Menurut Ab Aziz, bengkel berkenaan adalah inisiatif JPN bersama Kerajaan Negeri bagi meningkatkan kemampuan pengusaha asas tani untuk menerokai pasaran antarabangsa disasarkan dengan kebanyakannya di China, Timur Tengah serta Eropah.

“GMP yang dikeluarkan oleh Jabatan Kesihatan Malaysia adalah sijil khas selain keperluan penting dalam perniagaan asas tani yang disyaratkan buat pengusaha berkenaan bagi membolehkan mereka menembusi pasaran antarabangsa.

“Tanpa GMP, produk asas tani mereka tidak mampu diterima pasaran global kerana sijil berkenaan melambangkan jaminan mutu kepada produk yang berkualiti,” katanya.