THE 82,000 households in the B40 group who were left out of the Sayangku Sarawak aid programme will receive their share of financial assistance before the year is out.

Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg announced they would receive a payment of RM250 a month for six months, while winding up the debate on the budget in the state assembly today.

He said the 82,000 recipients had appealed against their ineligibility for aid.

Abang Johari said 40,000 more singles in the B40 group who had appealed for aid were also approved to receive a one-off payment of RM500 next month.

He said the additional payouts brought government spending to RM943 million to aid a total of 479,000 households and 432,000 singles in the B40 group during the epidemic.

This made Sarawak the most generous state in Malaysia in terms of monetary aid for the people.

“This assistance reduces their financial burden in the face of the difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

He also announced a “special incentive” payment of one and half months of basic salary, or a minimum of RM2,000, for the state’s civil servants for their “behind the scenes” role in tackling the Covid-19 crisis.

The incentive will be paid next month.

Federal civil servants will receive.a one-off RM500 payment due in the first quarter of the new year.

“The GPS government values the contributions, sacrifices and commitments of the officers of both the state and federal civil services in discharging their responsibilities professionally in this challenging time.

“During the Covid-19 pandemic, members of the Sarawak civil service and the federal civil service including doctors, nurses, health workers, uniformed bodies, immigration and other frontline personnel, have worked tirelessly to protect our rakyat.

“In doing so they have risked their own safety and sacrificed their comfort. There also countless other members of the civil service who are working behind the scene, away from the glare of publicity, but working diligently in their respective work places.

“To all of them, I say thank you.” – November 13, 2020.