SHAH ALAM: The Selangor government will have to look into its own financial situation before deciding on additional allocations for aid packages, says Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
“Understanding that its people are suffering during the pandemic, the state will do its utmost to extend help to those who have been affected.
"However, the dispensing of aid will have to be based on priorities and in accordance to situational scenarios.
"Bear in mind that not only the rakyat’s income has been affected. The state's coffers have also suffered due to postponements or waivers for taxes,” he said in reply to a query from Datuk Mohd Imran Tamrin (BN-Sungai Panjang) at the state assembly sitting here on Wednesday (Aug 23).
He stressed that the state treasury needed to have enough set aside in case of a crucial and sudden need to buy more vaccines, should the Health Ministry mandate booster jabs to ensure that Malaysians are truly protected from Covid-19.
Amirudin also pointed out that an allocation of RM551.56mil under the Pakej Kita Selangor programme had benefitted 496,800 recipients so far.
Comprising more than 20 initiatives, the package had helped some 4,000 small and petty traders through moratoriums; 3,100 tenants from the state’s public housing and Smart Sewa schemes through rent postponements; and deferred loan repayments for 286 scholars from Yayasan Selangor, he noted.
“The state also had to spend some RM900,000 to help 4,562 students nationwide when they were stranded at their respective campuses,” he added.
Another huge bill the state had to foot was its Covid-19 screening programme which came up to RM6.34mil for 70,445 screenings, Amirudin said.
He ended his reply to Mohd Imran by disclosing that in view of overwhelming demand, the state had agreed to add RM1mil to its death benefit programme for those who lost family members to Covid-19.
This was on top of the original allocation of RM1.5mil, he said, adding that 1,400 applications had been received to date.