KUALA LUMPUR: The government has agreed to increase the maximum salary eligibility limit for disabled workers allowance from RM1,200 to RM1,500 a month, said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
In a special announcement on the Strategic Programme to Empower People and the Economy (Pemerkasa) today, he said a total of RM26 million would be provided which would benefit almost 5,000 persons with disabilities (PwD).
Muhyiddin also announced that an additional RM20 million would be spent to strengthen entrepreneurship programmes implemented by agencies under the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, including to help market bakery products and handicrafts produced by PwDs and senior citizens.
In order to encourage the PwD community to venture into business, he said the group would also be exempted from any charges if they wished to register or renew their business licence with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM).
The Prime Minister said, Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) would also provide RM25 million under the Istimewa Microcredit Scheme for PwDs to venture into business with a financing limit of up to RM50,000 and an interest rate as low as three per cent.
Meanwhile, Muhyiddin said to empower women entrepreneurs, the SME and Micro SME e-Commerce Campaign and the Malaysia Online Shop Programme, the government would provide RM30 million to help them shift to online market.
“BSN will also provide RM50 million for the Pemerkasa-Nita Micro Financing Scheme to encourage more women to venture into business,” he said.
Muhyiddin said an allocation of RM10 million in the form of a 70 per cent matching fund for women entrepreneurs and self-employed women was also provided under the Social Security Organisation’s (Socso) Self-Employment Social Security Scheme.
Prihatin OKU is the 18th initiative under Pemerkasa, while Prihatin wanita is the 17th initiative of the programme. – Bernama
