KUCHING: Individuals previously listed as B40 singles under the B40 household category of the Bantuan Khas Sarawakku Sayang (BKSS) programme are no longer eligible for the monthly assistance under this category.
In a press statement today (Monday, Aug 3), the Sarawak Economic Planning Unit (EPU) said there were complaints from a small number of B40 household recipients that they no longer received BKSS assistance for July even though they received the aid from April to June 2020.
EPU explained that based on the updated Bantuan Sara Hidup (BHS) 2020 list from the Inland Revenue Board Malaysia, 115,450 recipients previously under the BHS) 2019 B40 household list were now listed under the BSH 2020 B40 Single list.
“These B40 singles who were earlier listed as recipients for B40 household category of the BKSS assistance in April to June 2020, will no longer be eligible to receive the same monthly assistance under B40 household BKSS assistance as they are now already listed as B40 Single recipients,” it said.
It added that total of 43,481 out of 78,123 B40 households with bank accounts had been paid RM250 through their respective banks on July 29, 2020, with an estimated expenditure of RM10.87 million.
It said the remaining 34,642 B40 household recipients with no bank accounts could claim their cash payments from Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) from August 7, 2020.
B40 households earning below RM4,000 per month are eligible to receive the BKSS assistance.
EPU added that a total of 218,489 out of 270,863 eligible B40 single Sarawakians aged above 21 earning below RM2,000 per month with bank accounts had received a one-off assistance of RM500 through their respective banks on July 29, 2020.
EPU said the remaining 52,374 B40 singles with no bank accounts could claim their cash payments from BSN from August 7, 2020.
“For the special monthly incentives for frontline personnel involved in Covid-19, 30,319 frontline personnel had received their payment incentives of RM200 per month for the period of April to July 2020 with a total expenditure of RM13.5 million.
“For the assistance for hawkers and petty traders, as of July 29, 2020, 28,091 hawkers have been paid through Sarawak Pay in two tranches with total payment amounting to RM21,068,250.
“Meanwhile, 16,867 hawkers have been paid through BSN in two tranches with total payment amounting to RM12,650,250,” it said.
