KUALA LUMPUR – A total of RM231 million has been allocated by all agencies under the Rural Development Ministry to assist affected groups during the movement control order (MCO).
Its minister Datuk Abdul Latiff Ahmad said the assistance and incentives would benefit 833,197 entrepreneurs, tenants, and borrowers to keep them going and increase their income.
“Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) is continuing with the existing incentives under the Mara Assistance Package 3.0, rescheduling of Mara financing payments, and rental discounts for tenants of Mara business premises,” he said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, the incentives offered under regional development authorities are exemptions from business premises fees and land rental, deferments of house rent and loan payments, as well as restructuring and expanding entrepreneurship programmes by the agency.
The regional development authorities involved are Perda in Penang, Kejora (Johor), Kesedar (south Kelantan), Keda (Kedah) and Ketengah in central Terengganu.
Latiff said other agencies under the ministry such as the Community Development Department and Orang Asli Development Department also offer moratorium incentives, assistance, courses, and food baskets to the Orang Asli community.
In addition, the ministry will also continue three assistance programmes under the people’s housing project for the hardcore poor (PPRT), career skills training programme, and economic improvement programmes (PPP) to support the National Rehabilitation Strategic Plan.
“PPRTs will continue to be implemented during the National Recovery Plan period with an additional target of 200 new construction projects and 5,800 refurbishment projects, involving an allocation of RM142 million,” he said.
Latiff said the career skills training programme also allocated RM10 million to provide career training opportunities especially for the lower-income group (B40) in rural areas.
PPP assists those from the hardcore poor, the poor, and the B40 to increase their current income through the ceiling fund of RM10,000 per recipient, involving an allocation of RM7 million.
To assist rural entrepreneurs, the ministry also carried out the DesaMall@KPLB programme, Jana Niaga Mara Shopee programme, and eKUD@KPLB programme to expand the group’s marketing of products and services through e-commerce platforms.
“With the current year’s allocation of RM1 million, the ministry is targeting to market 1,000 rural entrepreneur products on e-commerce platforms this year,” he said.
Meanwhile, to support the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, the ministry will mobilise manpower and assets to help the country achieve its herd immunity target by 2022.
Latiff said the ministry has activated all its 191 rural community centres nationwide as rural vaccination registration centres from May 20 until June 15, and has registered 6,558 individuals.
He said it would also intensify its target to register about 30% of the 7.73 million rural community members. – Bernama, June 21, 2021
