LABUAN, Sept 11 — Over four million youth nationwide have received the Bantuan Prihatin Nasional (BPN) aid as part of the government’s initiative to alleviate the financial burden of young people impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The amount does not include the one-off assistance, wage subsidy and small medium enterprise (SME) fund assistance.

Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Santhara Kumar Ramanaidu said his ministry, in collaboration with the Youth and Sports Ministry had also introduced the ‘cross-ministry-initiative’ aimed at stimulating youth socio-economy.

"Under this initiative, business kiosks will be offered to at least 1,122 young entrepreneurs at 169 strategic locations in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya,” he said at the National Youth Celebration and Presentation of Youth Programmes Awards at a leading hotel here today.

He said so far those affected by the movement control order to curb Covid-19, have been given deferments for financing repayments for use of business premises as well as rent payment postponement for People’s Housing Project/National Economic Action Council (NEAC) and DBKL public housing. 

Special allowances have also been paid to frontliners, he added. — Bernama