KOTA BHARU, Sept 5 — The Social Welfare Department’s restructuring exercise will take time to be completed as it involves several issues, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun.

She said the exercise that includes, among others, the entire staff, administration and management of the department, in efforts to turn it into an agency which is capable of tackling greater challenges in the future.

"Currently, we have held discussions, especially with the Public Service Department and certain parties regarding this matter.

"It is not just an increase in the number of staff but it also involves a larger structure to ensure that services to the people are given priority,” she told reporters after the ministry’s goes down to the field – Kelantan edition programme at the Kota Darulnaim Complex here today.

The ceremony was officiated by Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob, and was also attended by the ministry’s Deputy Minister Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff.

Rina said that as of now a welfare officer in the field has to manage about 600 recipients and this is a burden on the officers involved that needs to be addressed to ensure a more efficient service can be provided to those in need.

Presently, there are 500,000 recipients of the department’s monthly assistance involving a total allocation of RM1.5 billion a year, she said.

"When the RM300 assistance is to be increased to RM1,000 as announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin recently, it will definitely have financial implications,” she said.

However, she is confident that the department will be able to manage it to ensure that all recipients will benefit. — Bernama