More than 13 million Malaysians have used the Basic Rahmah Contribution (SARA) assistance to purchase essential goods, with total spending reaching RM1 billion.
Minister of Finance II, Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan explained that the initiative has greatly helped the B40 household group, especially in rural and remote areas.
In Sabah, more than 98% of the 1.2 million eligible recipients have used SARA to purchase essential goods, while in Labuan, 65% of the nearly 50,000 recipients have redeemed their RM100 assistance.
Amir Hamzah also stressed that the use of MyKad for the purpose of redeeming the assistance does not burden the elderly or rural residents.
He added that the redemption rates in the states of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak are among the highest in Malaysia, thus proving the effectiveness of the program.
The statement was made to reporters after he visited retailers participating in SARA yesterday.
The scheme also benefits micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which have recorded stronger sales due to the increased purchasing power of recipients.
The number of retail outlets participating in SARA has increased from 7,300 at the beginning of the year to over 8,100 nationwide.
Nearly 9 million Malaysians are eligible to receive SARA, while SARA coverage has been expanded to 5.4 million recipients from 1 April, almost eight times compared to the previous 700,000 recipients.
