Bernama photo for illustration purposes only.
KUCHING: A total of 115,450 recipients, who are now listed under the Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH) B40 single list, are no longer eligible for the Bantuan Khas Sarawakku Sayang (BKSS) monthly assistance, effective last month.
State Economic Planning Unit (EPU) announced this in a statement today following complaints received from a small number of B40 household recipients, who said they no longer received the BKSS aid last month even though they received the aid from April to June.
“This is because, based on the updated BSH 2020 list from LHDN (Inland Revenue Board) Malaysia, there were 115,450 recipients who were previously under the BHS 2019 B40 household list, are now listed under the BSH 2020 B40 single list.
“These B40 singles which were earlier listed as recipients for B40 household of the BKSS assistance in April to June this year, will therefore no longer eligible to receive the same monthly assistance under B40 household BKSS assistance as they are now already listed as B40 single recipients,” explained the state EPU.
The state EPU said a total of 43,481 out of the 78,123 B40 households with a bank account had been paid RM250 through their respective banks.
Such payment was done on July 29 with an estimated expenditure of RM10.87 million, it added.
The remaining 34,642 household recipients who do not have bank accounts can claim their cash payments from Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) from Aug 7, pointed out the state EPU.
The BKSS aid is meant for eligible B40 household earning below RM4,000 per month.
A total of 218,489 out of 270,863 eligible B40 single Sarawakians aged above 21 with a monthly income below RM2,000 and a bank account also received the one-off assistance of RM500 through their respective banks on July 29, it said.
“Likewise, the remaining 52,374 B40 single who do not have a bank account, cash payments can be claimed from BSN from Aug 7.”
According to the state EPU, a total of 30,319 frontline personnel involved in combating Covid-19 have received their incentives of RM200 per month for the period of April to July.
It said such BKSS assistance for frontline personnel between April and July recorded a total expenditure of RM13.5 million.
“While the assistance for hawkers and petty traders, as of July 29, a total of 28,091 hawkers have been paid through Sarawak Pay in two tranches with total payment amounting to RM21,068,250.
“Meanwhile, 16,867 hawkers have been paid through BSN in two tranches with total payment amounting to RM12,650,250,” added the unit.
Recipients who wish to check their BKSS payment can visit https://www.sarawak.gov.my/web/home/article_view/233/326/.