SARAWAK today rolled its third Covid-19 financial assistance package – the Bantuan Khas Sarawakku Sayang (BKSS) 3.0 – primarily to cover groups that were missed in the first two packages.

Among the groups that were missed were 30,000 households in the B40 category, and earning RM4,000 and below, that were eligible but not listed under the earlier BKSS 1.0 for the cash payment of RM1,500.

Others missed include single Sarawakians aged 21 and above and earning below RM2,000 a month, firemen, customs officers, workers in the tourism industry and operators of the “tambang” – wooden ferry boats – that ply the state’s many rivers.

Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg said the rash of new financial assistance will cost the state government RM300 million, and push its assistance spending to RM2.55 billion.

He said after he rolled out the first package on March 23, and the second on April 10, the government received a lot of feedback that many of those eligible were not listed in the first package.

He said the state government then gave them the opportunity to appeal from April 18 to 28 for the incentive online or the district office nearest to them.

The list of front-line personnel fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, who are now eligible for the RM200 special monthly incentive for the next six months, has now been expanded to include 358 Customs Department officers manning the state’s entry points, ports and airports, 870 personnel of local authorities who assisted in emergency services, as well as sanitation works, 887 firemen and 500 personnel of the Civil Defence Department who had assisted the police and armed forces in enforcing the movement-control order (MCO).

In the earlier package, only medical doctors, nurses and medical personnel, immigration officers, police officers and personnel manning the state operations centre, soldiers and Rela personnel were included.

The chief minister said the incentive was the state government’s acknowledgement of the “contribution and sacrifices of other front-line personnel who are directly exposed to risks while performing their duties in managing the outbreak in Sarawak”.

In this package, the state topped up the special grant of RM1,500 to hawkers and petty traders registered with local authorities by another RM750 for a total of RM2,250.

They will be paid in two tranches – first in this month and in July.

“I hope this measure will ease the burden of the hawkers and petty traders that are badly affected by Covid-19 pandemic.”

The additional assistance will cost the Sarawak government RM48.75 million.

In announcing a one-off cash payment of RM500 to the tambang operators, the chief minister said the restriction of movement, including the drastic drop in tourist arrivals to Sarawak over the recent months, have impacted badly the earning of the operators.

This assistance will benefit a total of 199 tambang operators and will cost the Sarawak government RM99,500.

Licensed van operators, taxi drivers and school bus, van operators have also been included in the latest financial assistance to tide over the Covid-19-battered economy.

“The Sarawak government is very concerned about the income loss of our licensed van operators, taxi drivers and school bus, van operators due to the MCO,” Abang Johari said as he announced a one-off cash assistance of RM600 to them.

About 959 licensed van operators, 1,976 taxi drivers and 739 school bus, van operators in the state are eligible for it.

Licensed tourist and park guides, many of whom have been laid off as global travel restrictions caused their travel and tour companies to lose businesses since late January, are being provided a special grant of RM1,500.

A total of 145 tourist and 113 park guides are eligible for the financial assistance to ease their financial burden.

Abang Johari said he does not see any travel bookings for the next six months.

The banking woes of people in the small towns and rural areas have also been eased by the financial package when the chief minister announced the Sarawak government will allocate RM1.6 million capital expenditure to Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) to operate their mobile bank branch services in these areas.

He said the government is well aware of the difficulties the people faced when trying to withdraw the various financial assistance that have been banked into their account.

The Bantuan Khas Sarawakku Sayang, the federal government’s Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH) and Bantuan Prihatin National (BPN) are all paid through banks.

“However, people residing in the rural areas have difficulty accessing bank services. I understand their plight and therefore I have initiated a collaboration with Bank Negara Malaysia, Bank Simpanan Nasional and few other financial institutions to expand their banking services to the rural areas,” Abang Johari said.

He said the mobile bank branch services are equipped with automated teller machines.

The BSN mobile counter will start its operation in the town Pakan, Sarikei on May 10. – May 8, 2020.