KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 (Bernama) -- Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) will complete 10,000 houses through the "Projek Mesra Rakyat" affordable housing scheme by the end of this year with an estimated cost of RM650 million.

SPNB chairman Datuk Idris Haron said the project would be implemented through the Industrial Building System (IBS) wholly funded by Bank Simpanan Nasional, targeting 1,000 units a month.

"We have tied up with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) to provide assistance on the IBS to 300 class F contractors in phase one of the project," he said.

"The first part would involve transfer of knowledge on the technology in Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Selangor and Perak, before its expanded to the whole country," he said after declaring open a seminar on the IBS Technology for Class F contractors at the CIDB Convention Centre here, today.

"We're optimistic of achieving the 10,000 units target using IBS which would help to increase our capacity, which was only 2,500 units per annum previously," he said.

Commenting on the rehabilitation of abandoned housing projects, he said SPNB was no longer responsible for them since March 28, 2010.

"It's no longer in SPNB's scope of duties, even though it was our initial purpose. We have completed 77 such cases throughout the country and there are six more underway at the moment," he added.

Meanwhile, CIDB senior general manager Sariah Abdul Karib said the use of manual labour would be reduced through the IBS as it was a machine operated system.

-- BERNAMA