THE People’s Income Initiative (IPR), which aims to increase the income of the hardcore poor and B40 group, has so far benefited 4,100 households, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said IPR is one of the short- and medium-term intervention measures that the government is implementing to eradicate hardcore poverty this year.

“IPR involves providing a complete ecosystem and support in kind to participants to assist and encourage them in economic activities to generate additional income in a sustainable manner,” he said during the ministerial reply.

Rafizi was responding to a question from Mohd Isam Mohd Isa (Tampin-BN) on the current development of the government’s aspirations to make 2023 the year to end hardcore poverty and the current poverty rate in the country.

IPR, which has been allocated RM750 million under Budget 2023, aims to help about 130,000 people, regardless of their background, to free themselves from the shackles of poverty.

It is implemented through three pilot initiative, namely the Farming Entrepreneur Initiative, Food Entrepreneur Initiative and Services Operator Initiative.

In an effort to increase the participation of target groups in IPR, Rafizi said all government agencies have been asked to identify low-income households to be enrolled in an appropriate programme by the end of this year.

Besides IPR, the government’s commitment to eradicate hardcore poverty was also realised through various measures under Budget 2024, including the continuation of the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah, Sumbangan Asas Rahmah and Payung Rahmah initatives, he said.

Other initiatives include subsidies for rice farmers and smallholders as well as rural infrastructure repair projects and poverty alleviation programmes.

“In addition, the government has agreed to consider a special monthly cash subsidy for households that cannot earn an income or are unproductive to ensure that they get out of extreme poverty,” said Rafizi.

He also about 80,000 households had been removed from the eKasih list after a clean-up on the database. – Bernama, November 16, 2023.