KUALA LUMPUR: Government efforts to address cost of living issues achieved 100 per cent of its key performance indicators (KPI) goal through the disbursement of RM25.62 billion in 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) over the years.
Over the course of the National Transformation Programme (NTP), which was the brainchild of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the government had introduced various initiatives to reduce the burden of the people.
BR1M was one such initiative which was successful.
The NTP report saw 7.3 million people and families benefited from BR1M payouts in 2017. The financial support from BR1M last year alone amounted to RM6.31 billion.
Listing the aid given last year, it said RM450 was given to each unmarried individual earning less than RM2,000 a month and RM900 each to 392,319 households which earned a combined total of between RM3,001 and RM4,000 a month.
For households earning a combined total of RM3,000 per month, or less, each were given RM1,200. Of these, there were 3.84 million.
The report stated that BR1M was instrumental in helping recipients cover the cost of groceries, monthly bills and school expenses.
On top of that, the BR1M Upliftment Programme allowed beneficiaries to use BR1M funds towards a deposit to purchase vehicles to be used to provide e-hailing services.