KOTA KINABALU, Oct 28 — The Sabah government has approved RM160 million as Covid-19 financial relief to all levels of society, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said today.
He said the sum is under the Bantuan Prihatin Covid-19 programme and is an addition to the RM50 million allocated by the state government earlier this month.
The earlier amount has yet to be fully utilised.
In a statement issued today after the weekly state Cabinet meeting, Hajiji said that the funds will be disbursed through various ministries in the form of monetary aid and will benefit tour guides, porters and divemasters in the tourism industry, and taxi bus and lorry drivers in the transport industry.
Others include those in the agriculture industry, hawkers, orphans and single mothers.
Of the total, RM1 million will go towards tertiary education students affected by the pandemic and will be channelled through the universities.
Hajiji also announced the establishment of the Sabah Economic Council to recover the state’s battered economy.
He said the composition of the council will be announced soon, but promised that it will be represented by those in industries, businessmen, academics and civil society.
