KUANTAN: The Pahang government today announced five new initiatives worth RM4.2 million to help the state's residents mitigate the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said RM100 in cash assistance and food items worth RM50 will be disbursed to 500 recipients at each of the 42 constituencies in Pahang.
"A total of 21,000 eligible recipients across the state will receive the assistance. The list of those who qualify will be decided with the assistance of the respective penghulu and village headmen. Some RM3.1 million has been set aside for this initiative.
"Besides that, a total of 80 penghulu will receive RM300 each and RM200 will be handed over to 542 Village Development and Security Committees (JKKK) in Pahang. It involves an allocation of RM132,400," he said in a statement today.
Wan Rosdy said RM596,250 has been set aside for the Orang Asli community here, whereby 3,975 recipients from the community will each receive RM100 cash aid and essential items worth RM50.
He said the state government has agreed to distribute 500 rice packets involving a cost of RM304,500 to all the 42 state constituencies to be given to deserving individuals here.
Wan Rosdy said the fifth initiative is to provide a one-off contribution of food items worth RM50 each to assist 1,500 hardcore poor families.
Meanwhile, he said to date, the state government has introduced 13 initiatives, including eight categories of assistance, worth RM14 million on March 23, bringing the total to RM19.24 million.
"The one-off cash assistance of RM150 and food items such as rice, flour, sugar and others worth RM50 announced last week for those who suffered a loss of income due to Covid-19 has so far benefited 18,000 individuals.
"We hope the initiatives introduced by the state government will complement the packages announced by the federal government through the Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package," he said.