ISKANDAR PUTERI: Some 15,843 individuals in Johor’s gig economy sector have registered for the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme under the Social Security Organisation (Socso), says Mohd Hairi Mad Shah.
The state youth, sports, entrepreneur development, cooperatives, and human resources committee chairman said that of the total, 8,281 are in ehailing, 7,236 in phailing, and the remaining 326 are from other gig economy industries.
“The state government, through the Human Resource Ministry and Socso, has been working continuously to come up with programmes and social security initiatives for those in Johor’s gig economy sector.
“This includes programmes with local leaders, awareness campaigns, and dialogues with relevant ministries and agencies,” he said during the state assembly here yesterday.
He said this in response to questions from Datuk Mohamad Najib Samuri (BN-Parit Yaani) and Liew Chin Tong (PH-Perling) about what the government is doing to encourage and support young people to work in the gig economy and what social security programmes are available for them.
Mohd Hairi also said that between January and October of this year, Socso Johor held 120 dialogue sessions with people who work in the gig economy across the state.
“Through Budget 2022, the government also allocated cash incentives under the Employment Insurance System (SIP) Gig Programme for those who are working in the informal sector or the gig economy for a short period of time.
“The programme offers incentives of between RM600 and RM800 for a six-month period for those who do not have fixed working hours,” he said.
Meanwhile, on an unrelated matter, state agriculture, agro-based industry and rural development committee chairman Datuk Zahari Sarip told the assembly that six new projects will be developed in the Bio Desaru area in 2023 to achieve the state government’s aim of being the country’s food bank.
“The estimated value of the projects is about RM792mil,” he said.
He noted that the projects include the Bio Desaru collection, processing, packing and distribution centre with the capacity to produce 10,000 items a month, and a fish farming project that is estimated to produce 10,000 tonnes of fish a year.
“There is also the Integrated Sustainable Food Production Zone Development Project, a project for shrimp farming, as well as projects for pineapples, bananas and coconuts,” he said.
