JOHOR BARU – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to announce several matters regarding the country’s current economic affairs, including mitigating the depreciation of the ringgit, tomorrow.
Deputy Finance Minister I Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the announcement would be made by the prime minister at the launching of a programme at the Securities Commission in the afternoon.
“...around 12 noon (tomorrow), the prime minister will launch a programme there, and he is expected to make certain announcements related to economic matters.
“So, we wait for tomorrow,” he said at a press conference after visiting Wisma Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) Johor here today.
Also present was BSN Johor director Mohamad Zulkarnain Ismail.
The Pontian MP said this when asked to comment on the ringgit’s depreciation and the Finance Ministry’s plan to mitigate the matter.
Meanwhile, Ahmad said the third phase of the Rahmah Cash Aid (STR) would be paid before the Hari Raya Aidiladha celebration, involving a total of 8.4 million recipients with an allocation of RM2.14 billion.
He said the three groups that would receive STR are households, involving a total of 3.9 million people, elderly people without a partner, totalling 1.2 million people, and singles, totalling 3.3 million people.
The deputy minister said the STR distribution by the unity government is the largest in history compared with all the series of such assistance given by the previous government.
This shows that appeals for individuals who are not selected could be made at the counter of the Inland Revenue Board or online starting July 1, he noted.
Meanwhile, Ahmad said BSN is allocating RM900 million for the Kasih-Belia Micro Scheme as well as small traders and women micro-schemes this year.
Therefore, he said the public is encouraged to use the opportunity to obtain financing between RM5,000 to RM50,000.
He said a total of RM1.6 billion for the micro, small and medium enterprise financing scheme has been distributed to 72,000 beneficiaries nationwide since 2020 until now. – Bernama, June 18, 2023
