KUCHING (Oct 23): The state government has decided to extend seven measures under the Bantuan Khas Sarawakku Sayang (BKSS) until end of this year, announced Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg today.

Abang Johari announces the seven extended measures under BKSS 4.0 at a press conference

This is to lessen the impact of the pandemic, in view of the recent surge in the Covid-19 cases throughout the country that has affected businesses and livelihood of the people, he said.

“The seven extended measures under BKSS 2020 will have a total cost implication of RM104.84 million to the Sarawak government,” he told a press conference on the fourth BKSS package or BKSS 4.0.

The seven measures are electricity bill discount, water bill Discount, Housing Development Corporation rental discount of 50 per cent for residential, one-off RM500 assistance to e-hailing driver and driver instructors, 50 per cent discount for rental of market and stalls, waiver of permits and license fees, and waiver for rentals to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the retail sector operating on premises owned by state government linked companies or statutory bodies.

For the electricity bill discount, Abang Johari explained that domestic, commercial and industrial consumers will continue to be given discount of five per cent to 25 per cent on their monthly electricity bill for October until December 2020.

“The discounts will benefit 686,847 users throughout Sarawak and the cumulative cost of discount amounting RM83.4 million will be borne by Sarawak government,” he said.

As for the water bill discount, he informed that the domestic, commercial and industrial consumers will continue to be given discount of 10 per cent to 25 per cent on their monthly water bill for October until December 2020.

“These special one-off discounts will benefit 568,247 consumers throughout the State. The cumulative cost of discounts amounts to RM12.6 million and this special one-off discount will be borne by Sarawak government,” he said.

On the discount of 50 per cent for rental of Housing Development Corporation (HDC) houses rental scheme covering a period of three months from October to December 2020, the chief minister said that this assistance would benefit more than 3,200 customers who are renting HDC houses throughout the state.

Abang Johari informed that the state government had also decided to extend assistance to e-hailing drivers and driving instructors.

“In July 2020, Sarawak government extended assistance to relevant players in the transportation sector that are badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic such as taxi drivers, school bus and van operators, licensed van operators and penambang operators in the state.

“Now, not leaving out the e-hailing drivers, the Cabinet has decided to extend similar assistance to 2,396 e-hailing drivers and 791 driving instructors in the State. The RM500 one-off assistance will cost Sarawak government RM1.59 million,” he said.

The fifth measure on a discount of 50 per cent for rental of market and stalls covering a period of three months up to December 2020, which is expected to benefit more than 10,000 hawkers renting market and stalls particularly those under the purview of the local councils and will cost the Sarawak government RM0.8 million.

Abang Johari continued that the Sarawak government will continue to provide waiver of permits and licenses fees to traders, hawkers, night market traders and tamu operations, which will benefit permits and licensed holders in the various local authorities throughout Sarawak. This measure will ease the burden of the people and will cost Sarawak government RM4.12 million.

The state government will also continue to extend the waiver of rentals to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the retail sectors operating on premises owned by Government-Linked Companies (GLCs) such as SEDC, Land Custody Development Authority (LCDA) and Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) for a period of three-months until December 2020.

Abang Johari pointed out that over the past six months, the GPS government had implemented BKSS 1.0, BKSS 2.0 and BKSS 3.0 worth RM2.55 billion, and has benefitted about 3.08 million beneficiaries from various groups such as the B40 groups, frontliners, transportation sector, tourism sector and businesses.

“Over the past six months, the GPS government had received positive feedbacks from the rakyat and frontliners who have benefitted greatly from the BKSS assistance.

“I sincerely hope this further extension of BKSS until year end will provide the much needed relief for our people who are badly affected by the pandemic,” he said.

Also present were Sarawak State Secretary Datuk Amar Jaul Samion and Sarawak Economic Planning Unit director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel.