Declining unemployment rate proves govt initiatives showing positive results, says Tengku Zafrul

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 — The declining unemployment rate proves that the government initiatives under the Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package (Prihatin) and National Economic Recovery Plan (Penjana), which were aimed at stimulating country’s economy, have begun to show positive results, Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said.

“Despite positive developments, the government will continue to pay attention in addressing unemployment amongst the rakyat,” he said in a statement when presenting the latest report on the implementation of the Prihatin and Penjana today.

This was the 16th report by the Economic Stimulus Implementation & Coordination Unit Between National Agencies (Laksana).

The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) recently announced that the unemployment rate in June 2020 decreased by 0.4 per cent to 4.9 per cent from 5.3 per cent in the previous month.

Tengku Zafrul said the signs of recovery will sustain if Malaysians continue to practice the new norms in their daily lives.

The re-implementation of the movement control order (MCO) as a whole will lead other issues, including disrupting efforts to revive the economy, and the government’s focus in preparing the 2021 Budget, which will focus on reviving the economy, as well as restoring investors’ confidence.

“To ensure the success of the 2021 Budget, the team from the Ministry of Finance continues the ‘Jelajah Belanjawan 2021’ to seek feedback from various communities and industries.

“The input received will be taken into consideration to ensure that the budget is rakyat and business-friendly,” he said, adding that the public, businesses and relevant parties are invited to submit their views and suggestions on the 2021 Budget to [email protected]. — Bernama