THE state government has allocated RM7 million under the Covid-19 economic stimulus package to provide financial aid to licensed petty traders and hawkers whose businesses have been affected due to the Movement Control Order (MCO).
State Local Government, Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh said the RM500 one-off cash assistance would be given via electronic funds transfer (EFT) starting from April 15 to a total of 14,012 petty traders and hawkers.
“The local authorities, Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP), have identified 13,281 petty traders and hawkers who operate under their respective areas.
“This also includes 6,324 of them under MBPP and 6,957 under MBSB at public markets, food courts, night markets and food trucks.
“Meanwhile, the remaining 731 traders are traders from FAMA (Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority),’’ Jagdeep said during a press conference held on March 27.
Jagdeep also stated that the traders could check their status through the councils’ webpage www.mbpp.gov.my and www.mbsp.gov.my starting from April 1.
Also present at the press conference were MBPP mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang and MBSB mayor Datuk Rozali Mahmud.
Yew said for those traders under the MBPP who have not submitted their bank account information, they could do so by sending their particulars through WhatsApp.
“Type COVID500 and enter full name, identification card number, licence number, bank account number and name of the bank name and send it to 016-2004082.
“These are the steps that they need to do in order for us to channel the one off payment to them,’’ he said.
For MBSP, Rozali said that they could refer to the ‘Portal Bantuan Tunai Peniaga Kecil dan Penjaja MBSB’ at www.mpsp.gov.my starting from April 6.
Apart from that, Jagdeep also shared that the residents at the People’s Housing Project (PPR) and Rumah Sewa Kerajaan Negeri (RSKN), are exempted from paying their monthly rental for April and May.
“The rental for premises under the state government and local authorities also has been exempted as well to ease the burden of our people during this difficult time.
“I also would like to thank the state government for the special incentive (RM300) for the frontliners from MBPP and MBSP and also the allocation of RM10 million for the safety kits (to be given to council’s frontliners).
Story by Tanushalini Moroter
Pix by Chan Kok Kuan