Selangor breaks out RM129m stimulus for health workers, traders, students and more facing Covid-19 crisis

KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 — The Selangor government announced today its stimulus package worth RM128.78 million to ease the burden of state residents facing the Covid-19 crisis and a nationwide Movement Control Order.

The package expressly targets frontline health workers, licensed businesses, entrepreneurs, and students.

Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari announced the “Selangor Cares Package” in a statement today, while stressing the state government’s constant mindfulness of residents’ plight during the unprecedented Covid-19 crisis and the partial lockdown.

Among the initiatives announced is a RM200 one-off cash payment and food assistance meant for 6,000 medical frontliners at combating the Covid-19 outbreak in hospitals throughout the state.

Amirudin said this cash aid will continue until March 31, 2020, with a total of RM1.2million allocated for this incentive.

Cash aid for tertiary students was also announced, with an RM200 one-off payment set to be given to some 2,500 students from Selangor stuck in their campuses outside their home state.

Amirudin said students stuck in campuses within Selangor during the restriction period would also receive aid in the form of a free food scheme from March 22 to March 31, with both initiatives for the students costing the government RM2.3 million.

The state also included within the package their decision to exempt rental payments of some 80,000 licensed small-time vendors and businesses within the state, costing the government some RM12 million.

RM500 in one-off cash aids will also be given to these business owners to alleviate their cash flow problems, costing the state government an additional RM40 million, which will be handed out from April 1 to April 30 after the movement control order.

As for those owing rent under the Smart Sewa scheme, Amirudin said their arrears would also be postponed for three months, with the government bearing the RM600,000 cost.

Entrepreneurs were also included within the package, with Amirudin announcing a three month postponement of loan repayments for those owing to the Hijrah Selangor program.

He said the cost of around RM70 million would be absorbed by the state government.

Also recipients of cash infusions were the 56 Selangor state representatives, who Amirudin said would each receive around RM30,000 to carry out their social and welfare programs.

“It is for all a form of expenditure for the prosperity of the people, especially to look after an affected individual’s or family’s daily needs of essential items,” Amirudin said on the allocation to state representatives.

This initiative will cost the state government coffers RM1.68 million, Amirudin explained.

Also announced was the extension period for taxpayers to settle their land taxes with the state, with the due date extended to June 30, 2020.

“The state government will try its best to ease the burden of the people while cushioning their financial struggles effectively.

“The state government is concerned and ready to listen to any suggestions to further improve the state’s fiscal expenditure for the prosperity of the people,” he said in his statement.