Armizan (centre), pictured here mingling with shoppers at the Rahmah Madani sale in Sandakan on Feb 16, says the Sara programme is being expanded so that residents will not have to travel far to buy essential items. – BERNAMApic
SANDAKAN: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry will work with the Finance Ministry to increase the number of premises involved in the Rahmah Basic Assistance (Sara) programme, particularly in rural and remote areas.
Domestic Trade Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said as of Saturday (Feb 15), 1,700 supermarkets and grocery stores had been enlisted as Sara programme implementers, making it more convenient for people to make purchases at designated outlets.
"As the ministry responsible for retail, we are collaborating with the Finance Ministry, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, where geographical and infrastructure challenges exist," he said after attending the Rahmah Madani sale programme here on Sunday (Feb 16).
"Our goal is to expand the programme to rural and remote areas so that residents do not have to travel far for essential purchases.
"This year, implementation will be expanded in Sabah and Sarawak, with aid credited monthly to recipients' MyKad instead of the previous method of cash payments twice a year.
"This expansion will take place once 340 premises in Sabah and 320 in Sarawak are included in the programme."
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He added that the government has allocated RM13bil this year for Rahmah Cash Assistance (RM8bil) and Sara (RM5bil).
Meanwhile, Armizan praised the Bornean states' governments for introducing targeted initiatives to ease cost of living, which align with federal efforts to assist the people.
"We appreciate the Sabah and Sarawak governments for implementing direct cash assistance programmes to help their people cope with rising living costs
"In Sabah, the programme is called Sentuhan Kasih Rakyat Sabah (Syukur), while in Sarawak, it is known as Sumbangan Keperluan Asas Sarawak (SKAS)," he said.
Armizan added that the government is committed to implementing various strategies across ministries and agencies to address cost-of-living challenges nationwide. – Bernama
