KUALA LUMPUR: The government’s decision to lower the age of eligible singles for Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat (BPR) was aimed at widening the scope for welfare to more Malaysians who are facing the brunt of the Covid-19 economic fallout.
National Budget Office director Johan Mahmood Merican (pic) said the revised criteria for BPR, which replaced Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH), was set to benefit 8.1 million Malaysians.
“After taking into account the current state of the economy, the Covid-19 crisis, issues pertaining to cash flow as well as cost of living faced by many households and singles, the government decided it is appropriate to improve the BPR by lowering the age limit for singles to 21 and above, ” he said.
Single individuals with an income of less than RM2,500 will receive RM350.
He noted that the singles category for cash aid was briefly removed in 2019 then reintroduced in 2020, but recipients had to be 40 years old and above.
At the same time, Johan said a total of RM6.5bil had been set aside in Budget 2021 for BPR and the figure was based on estimates made by the Finance Ministry.
“If any household or singles meet the criteria, their application will be approved, ” he said during a media briefing in Wisma Bernama here yesterday.
He said the salary range for households was revised after taking into account the Household Income and Basic Amenities survey report 2019, which found that most households in the B40 group were surviving with salaries of about RM5,000 a month.
Johan noted that the previous BSH only benefited 4.3 million recipients.
He said those who qualified for BPR would be allowed to apply once the Finance Ministry opens the registrations early next year.
The data of BSH recipients would be included into the BPR system and there was no need for them to reapply, he added.
Johan said Budget 2021 was drafted based on the same methods and approaches used by the government during previous budgets.
“Based on the information available with the Finance Ministry, we felt that Budget 2021 reflects the actual situation, ” he added.
Johan, who echoed Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s remarks that the government’s priority was to help the needy during the Covid-19 pandemic, assured those in the M40 income group they were not being sidelined.
He pointed out the various tax incentives and reliefs in Budget 2021.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
