Selangor Journal
People are seen adhering to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) by wearing facemasks and observing social distancing at an agromarket in Section 13, Shah Alam, on January 31, 2021. — Picture by ASRI SAPFIE/SELANGORKINI

20 initiatives to overcome Covid-19 pandemic

SHAH ALAM, Feb 18 — The Kita Selangor Package has offered 20 initiatives in the form of aid, economic and educational programmes to ease the burden of the people during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Announced on January 20, the package includes the write-off on education loan, food aid, job creation, incentives for farmers as well as free learning.

In the progress report of the initiatives, the State Economic Planning Unit (UPEN) yesterday informed that the C5i Smart Selangor Operations Centre (SSOC) will be displaying its implementation data.

The SSOC and the Selangor Smart Centre of Excellence (CoE2) were developed at a total cost of RM7.5 million to manage the current developments of Covid-19 cases. Both were announced in the package.

After a month, six initiatives have been successfully completed, which include the write-off on student loans totalling RM7.7 million and two weeks of food assistance worth RM1.6 million for the frontliners.

Flood relief during the outbreak in the three East Coast states amounting to RM2 million was also channelled to Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan on January 25.

The state government also granted a rental moratorium for the month of January and the next two months to 2,365 tenants of the People’s Housing Project (PPR) and council houses with a financial impact of RM1.1 million.

Meanwhile, 450 participants of the Smart Rental Scheme were allowed to defer payments for three months starting from January with a financial impact of RM630,050.

UPEN Distribution and Development Section assistant director said the assistance was channelled through the state government-owned companies, community service centres, state assemblyman offices and related agencies.

Md Hasrul Faiz Borhanudin said some other initiatives including digitalisation and entrepreneurship programmes continue to run to generate traders’ incomes.

“Some of the assistance is channelled directly to the target groups but some require the public to sign-up for,” he told SelangorKini yesterday.

In addition to the three stimulus packages last year, the Kita Selangor package was introduced as an extension of the state government’s efforts in addressing the Covid-19 outbreak, which had affected the health and income of the people.

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