287,000 workers register for self-employed scheme

Zahari says 149,743 people in Johor’s agriculture sector have registered under Socso’s Self-Employment Social Security Scheme.

CLOSE to 287,000 people in Johor have registered for the Social Security Organisation’s (Socso) Self-Employment Social Security Scheme. The recorded figure is for up to February this year.

Johor agriculture, agro-based industry and rural development committee chairman Datuk Zahari Sarip said that of this number, 149,743 were in the agricultural industry.

“Starting from January 2020, the scheme was expanded to 19 sectors, including agriculture,” he said during the state assembly sitting in Kota Iskandar.

He was responding to a question from Datuk Pandak Ahmad (Kota Iskandar–BN) who wanted to know how many farmers and fishermen under the Kota Iskandar constituency had contributed to Socso and the benefits received.

The scheme was introduced in 2017 to give protection to the self-employed.

“There are 436 fishermen in Kota Iskandar registered with Socso, who are contributing RM157.20 each a year,” said Zahari.

“The amount is deducted from their fishermen’s allowance, and they are automatically registered.”

He said that as at January, there were 53 fishermen (or their next-of-kin) under the Kota Iskandar area that had received benefits totalling up to RM227,650 from Socso, involving deaths and injuries.

“Fishermen who do not have licences but are members of fishermen associations in their respective areas can still contribute to the scheme, but their respective associations will have to coordinate it,” he added.

On an unrelated matter, state investment, trade and consumer affairs committee chairman Lee Ting Han said the Johor Fast Lane initiative had reduced approval waiting time of potential investors from 24 to 12 months.

“There are more than 17 agencies under Johor Fast Lane that are providing immediate technical approval to investors.

“They include the Public Works Department, Drainage and Irrigation Department as well as the Fire and Rescue Department.

“There are also ample facilities, including water and electricity supply as well as other infrastructure available to investors in industrial areas.

“They only have to move their machines there and they can start operating as soon as possible,” he said.

Ling said the Johor Investment Committee had been set up to facilitate and coordinate the entry of investors into the state.

He was responding to a question from Liew Chin Tong (PH–Perling) who wanted to know initiatives taken by the state government to ease the way for businesses, especially investments.