PUTRAJAYA, Oct 15 — The Federal Territories Ministry today launched the third phase of its Wilayah Cakna initiative to ease the burden of the urban poor and B40 group, by providing rent exemptions, food packs, and school fees exemption, among others.

Its minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said approximately RM39.75 million will be spent covering October until the end of December.

"These include a three-month rent exemption for residents in the National Economic Action Committee’s Rakyat Housing Projects, from October until December 2020, which is expected to benefit 40,000 renters in Kuala Lumpur,” he said during a press conference on the initiative.

Others include the exemption by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) for licensed hawkers and small businesses, who are also exempted from having to pay the fees to renew their licenses, which involve 1,339 accounts.

Similarly, 302 hawkers and small businesses in Putrajaya will also come under the exemption for premise rental charges and are also exempted from paying the fees to renew their licenses between October to December.

"The Putrajaya Corporation (Perbadanan Putrajaya) will prepare food pack vouchers for poor households, worth RM100 each.

"Students from low-income families in KL will also receive schoolbook assistance vouchers worth RM100 from Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan which can be used in their respective school cooperatives,” Annuar said.

Apart from that, 1,000 poor students in Putrajaya will receive ‘Back to School’ voucher worth RM100 to prepare them for their expenses for the coming school year.

A one-off contribution of RM3,000 will also be given to 11 residents‘ representatives councils (RRC) in KL Federal Territory and six sub-zone RRCs in Putrajaya, as well as RM2,000 to 570 residents associations in both cities.

This is meant for implementing Covid-19 prevention programmes in their respective communities to break the transmission cycle.

"The Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department has allocated RM1.4 million for assistance programmes aimed at low-income groups and the poor, which include assistance for Friday mosques and suraus in KL, Putrajaya and Labuan, as well as various food programmes.

"Additionally disinfection programmes and thorough cleaning will be conducted in all public areas and schools in the KL and Putrajaya Federal Territories, and will continue to stem the spread of Covid-19,” said the minister.