KUALA LUMPUR: The Works Ministry has set aside RM7mil under the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) to subsidise Covid-19 screening costs for foreign workers.
Senior Minister (Works) Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said under the programme, each foreign worker registered with CIDB will be entitled to a RM50 subsidy to undergo the RTK-Antigen test.
"The tests will be managed by CIDB's subsidiary, CIDB Holdings Sdn Bhd, and will be conducted at selected panel clinics.
"The purpose of this subsidy is to encourage employers to get their foreign workers tested and also to encourage those yet to be registered under CIDB to do so," he said Monday (March 1).
Under the programme, each test is priced at RM100 and CIDB will bear half the cost for registered foreign workers.
Unregistered foreign workers would need to pay the full cost.
Foreign workers can opt to conduct the tests at drive-through Covid-19 testing facilities or at the construction sites if more than 30 people need to be tested.
Test results will be ready in about 30 minutes.
According to CIDB chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad 'Asri Abdul Hamid, the subsidy allocation of RM7mil was derived from the total number of foreign construction workers currently registered with CIDB.
"The employers would have to screen the workers at our panel facilities where the test kits are about RM100 and employers only bear half of the cost.
"There are foreign construction workers who are not registered with CIDB.
"If we find that in the future, there are more foreign construction workers being registered with CIDB and we need to get more subsidies for screening, we will look into getting more allocations," said Asri.
Registration for the Covid-19 testing can be done at https://admin.cswms.com.my or contact 03-4042 8880 during regular office hours for more information.
