Kuala Lumpur, 29 September 2020 – The total wage subsidy approved to employers under the Wage Subsidy Programme starting April 2020 amounted to RM11.93 billion as at Sept 18, 2020, said Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
He said the initial three-month programme (April, May and June), which had been extended for another three months (July, August and September), had benefited more than 2.6 million employees and 323,583 employers.
“Soon (the wage subsidy programme) will be extended to between three and six months (for existing and new applicants) under KITA PRIHATIN (Prihatin Supplementary Initiative Package),” he said when presenting the 23rd LAKSANA Report here today.
Tengku Zafrul said the government does not hesitate to take action against irresponsible employers who take advantage from the wage subsidy programme while the government is striving to help employers and employees to enable businesses to stay afloat.
He said the government had received reports that a sum of about RM500,000 in wage subsidy, which should have been paid to workers, had been taken by employers.
“Let me state, in no uncertain terms, that the government will not hesitate to take action against employers who commit these offences,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said there was an increase of 4,498 individuals, who managed to get jobs under the Recruitment Incentive Programme and Training Assistance this week, bringing the total to 38,186 employees from 33,688 last week.
The number included 29,575 persons under the age of 40, 4,829 persons under the 40-60 years age group, 270 people with disabilities and 3,512 apprentices, he said, adding that RM1.5 billion has been allocated for this programme.
-BERNAMA
