KUALA LUMPUR: A total of RM12.3 billion of the Special COVID-19 Aid (BKC), encompassing Bantuan Prihatin Nasional 2.0 (BPN 2.0), Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat (BPR) and BPR Tambahan, has been distributed to almost 10 million recipients.

Minister of Finance Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said the balance of the BPR payments (Phase 3 and appeals), BKC (Phase 2 dan Phase 3) and Loss of Income Aid (BKP) totalling RM4.8 billion are expected to be disbursed from September to December 2021.

"The Finance Ministry wants to emphasise that the BKC is one of various aid programmes which will be distributed continuously until the end of 2021," he said in the 67th LAKSANA report.

Overall, an allocation of RM17.1 billion has been provided for this year in the implementation of BPN 2.0, BPR, BPR Tambahan, BKC, and BKP which has been and will be distributed to those who are qualified.

Under the hiring of workers incentive programme PenjanaKerjaya, the government has distributed RM995.36 million to 33,304 employers, helping to sustain 256,253 jobs.

Up to Sept 3, RM635.74 million had been distributed through PenjanaKerjaya 1.0, benefitting 15,097 employers and 116,316 workers.

A sum of RM354.52 million was distributed via PenjanaKerjaya 2.0 as an incentive for the hiring of workers, which helped 16,491 employers and 135,322 workers.

A total of RM5.10 million was also distributed through PenjanaKerjaya 3.0, benefitting 1,717 employers and 4,631 workers up to Sept 3.

Tengku Zafrul said up to Aug 20, a total of RM18.83 million had been distributed to 761 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) under the Indian Entrepreneur Development Scheme while guarantees worth RM1.705 billion have been approved for 51 companies under the DanaJamin Prihatin Guarantee Scheme up to Aug 27.

Under the SME Easy Loan Fund, applications worth RM12.38 billion had been approved by local banks, benefitting 26,089 SMEs, up to Aug 27.

This amount included funds for the Special Relief Facility (SRF), Automation and Digitalisation Facility (ADF), All-Economic Sector Facility (AES) and Agrofood Facility (AF).

The minister said up to Aug 27, 137,659 workers had managed to get jobs through the government's job hiring incentives and training programmes.

The manufacturing, wholesale and retail sectors were among the mains sources of the hiring of workers.

Meanwhile, 150,908 participants had been approved, compared to 150,764 in the week before, to take part in skills and training programmes.

For the wage subsidy programme (PSU), 322,177 employers and 2.64 million workers have received benefits via PSU 1.0 under the PRIHATIN and PENJANA packages.

Up to Aug 27, applications for wage subsidy that had been approved hit RM12.929 billion.

A total of RM1.356 billion had been distributed to 77,507 employers for them to continue with their operations and sustain the payment of salaries to 692,805 workers under PSU 2.0.

Tengku Zafrul said the business recovery scheme TEKUN for MSMEs, with a RM100 million fund, has achieved its objective, benefitting 14,946 MSMEs.

The RM200 million Bumiputera Relief Financing (BRF) by PUNB has also met its target, benefitting 749 SMEs.

Under PENJANA, the government has allocated RM700 million to help and encourage SMEs and mid-level companies (MTC) to embark on the digitalisation of their operations.

Up to Aug 27, RM82.27 million had been distributed to 13,884 businesses in the form of grants and loans for the digitalisation of their subscription services.

-- BERNAMA