PM: RM600 cash aid for workers forced to take no-pay leave over Covid-19

CORONAVIRUS | The government has further expanded on their economic stimulus package to ease the rakyat’s burden during the Covid-19 outbreak, including financial aid for workers forced to take no-pay leave.

“(There will be) financial aid to help employees who were forced to take no-pay leaves.

“The financial aid will be RM600 per employee per month for up to six months; it is eligible for employees given no-pay notice since March 1, 2020; it is eligible for those under the Employment Insurance Scheme (EIS) with no more than RM4,000 per month,” Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin (above) said in a press conference today.

He said this will cost the government RM120 million and about 33,000 workers are expected to benefit from this scheme.

This is part of what was discussed in the first economic action council meeting of the new government in Putrajaya today, Muhyiddin added.

There will also be a small discount of two percent for electricity charges for other consumers, such as the industrial, commercial and agriculture sectors, as well as domestic consumers from April 1 to Sept 30, 2020.

Previously, in the economic stimulus package announced on Feb 27, the government had included a 15 percent discount on electricity charges for certain sectors most affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.

The Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH) cash aid will also be paid out earlier in March instead of May, Muhyiddin said.

An additional RM100 will be paid out to BSH recipients again in May, he said.

This will involve RM500 million expenditure on the government’s side and is expected to benefit five million BSH recipients.

The government will also immediately implement small projects worth a total of RM2 billion, Muhyiddin said.

The projects will start in April under the supervision of the chief secretary to the government who will report weekly to the prime minister.

These projects will focus on rural infrastructure development and will be carried out by small-time bumiputera contractors, he said.  - Mkini