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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced a new economic stimulus package worth RM20 billion (US $ 4.8 billion) on Wednesday (March 17), a year after Malaysia first imposed a blockade to slow the spread of COVID-19.
This is the sixth package presented since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In order to revive economic activity, I am pleased to announce that the government will implement the Strategic Program to Empower People and the Economy or Pemerkasa worth 20 billion ringgit, with a new tax injection of 11 billion ringgit from the government.” Muhyiddin said live. address.
The program comprises 20 strategic initiatives to boost economic growth, support businesses and extend assistance aimed at affected individuals and sectors, he added.
The country is now in the fifth stage of a comprehensive economic recovery plan, which is to “revitalize”, to reactivate the economy.
READ: Malaysia to start administering Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday
Thursday marks a full year since Malaysia first imposed a blockade known as a movement control order (MCO) to break the chain of infection.
As of Wednesday, Malaysia reported a total of 327,253 COVID-19 cases and 1,220 deaths.
His vaccination program began last month and Muhyiddin, who received his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Putrajaya on Wednesday, said that more than 300,000 Malaysians have received their first dose of the vaccine.
TRAVELING MAY BE ALLOWED WHEN MORE PEOPLE ARE VACCINATED
In his speech on Wednesday, Muhyiddin announced that the allocation for the COVID-19 immunization program would increase from RM3 billion to RM5 billion to reach the fastest herd immunity status in December, instead of the first quarter of 2022.
With the immunization plan, a nationwide lockdown or MCO may no longer be needed, he added.
“The government may no longer need to do an MCO that covers the whole country or a state. Instead, the movement control will only be carried out according to the locality and will focus only on the related clusters,” he said.
A healthcare worker administers the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to a staff member at a vaccination center in Serdang, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday, March 4, 2021 (AP Photo / Vincent Thian).
The prime minister added that when more people have been vaccinated in the near future, the government would be ready to allow inter-state travel in stages and create special green lanes for cross-border travel involving air travel.
“Give the government some time and space to examine all the risks before a decision is made,” he said.
READ: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin reiterates that he will advise the king to dissolve parliament once the pandemic is over
Prior to this, the government has announced five financial aid packages, namely Prihatin worth RM250 billion, Prihatin SMEs (RM10 billion), Penjana (RM35 billion), Kita Prihatin (RM10 billion). RM 1 billion) and Permai (RM 15 billion).
Pemerkasa raised the total value of the packages to RM340 billion.
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