KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 — The government has spent RM622.88 million on subsistence allowance for fishermen from 2018 to 2022 to alleviate their financial burden due to the rising living costs.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said under the initiative, fishermen received RM300 per month while inland fishermen received RM250 per month.
“For the diesel subsidy scheme, fishermen can obtain diesel at RM1.65 per litre, and from 2018 to 2022, the recorded subsidy amount was RM3.61 million,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Mohamad was responding to Sungai Besar MP Datuk Muslimin Yahaya’s query on the total subsistence aid provided to fishermen in each state since 2018.
Meanwhile, the minister said the government also spent RM74 million to provide the Catch Incentive during the same period, benefiting 29,529 fishermen.
RM7.5 million was spent on the Natural Disaster Relief and Fishermen’s Welfare Scheme to provide immediate aid to fishermen suffering from accidents, damage to property and loss of life.
For this year, RM2 million has been allocated to implement the scheme, which was introduced in 2009.
— Bernama
