LENGGONG, March 9 — The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) and three other ministries are expected to meet in two weeks to discuss the development of a framework for a rare earth element (REE) business model.
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the other three ministries are the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Energy. Science, Technology and Innovation.
He said the meeting would be held to discuss the entire spectrum of the REE business model including the proposed establishment of a Government-Linked Company (GLC) to explore and regulate the industry.
“As I said the government is looking at this matter. So, in the meeting we will look at things from upstream to downstream of the REE business model in accordance with the existing constitutional framework,” he told reporters after the proclamation of Lenggong as a Geopark by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah here today.
Meanwhile, touching on the geopark, Nik Nazmi said NRES through the Department of Minerals and Geosciences (JMG) is working with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac) to create a Geoguide License for Geoparks under the Tourism Industry Act, 1992 (Act 482).
“A total of 229 geoguides have passed the Eco-Host course organised by Motac and JMG, which is one of the prerequisites for the geoguide license.
“At Lenggong Geopark itself, a total of 23 geoguides have passed the course,” he said. — Bernama
