KUALA LUMPUR – Kelantan, Terengganu, and Kedah recorded the fewest applications for the “Inisiatif Pendapatan Rakyat”, or the People's Income Initiative launched last week.
Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said under Budget 2023, the government has allocated RM750 million for the initiative, which focuses on empowering the B40 income group and hardcore poor nationwide to boost households’ income potential.
“The time has come for the leadership of the state governments controlled by Perikatan Nasional to ensure that economic planning at the state level is also good.
“It is better to work together to welcome the federal government’s efforts because allocations have been given and programmes have been prepared,” he said in reply to a question from Muhammad Fawwaz Mohamad Jan (Permatang Pauh-PAS) during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Rafizi added that the government had allocated 50% of the development expenditure under Budget 2023 to Malaysia’s five poorest states, namely Sabah, Kelantan, Sarawak, Kedah, and Terengganu.
Meanwhile, he said the Statistics Department’s Household Income and Expenditure and Basic Amenities Survey for 2022 is expected to be published by mid-2023.
The survey is conducted twice every five years, and the data is used for socioeconomic reporting and input for government policy formulation, said Rafizi. – Bernama, March 7, 2023
