KUCHING: A senior leader has assured that the state government will look into helping out should the federal government reduce its welfare assistance allocation as it implements cost-saving measures.
Minister of Women, Early Childhood, and Community Well-being Development Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said thus far there have been no changes in the Welfare Assistance Scheme.
“So far, there has been no change or impact in the allocation of the assistance under the federal government.
“But if there is a change in terms of policies including a cut in the allocation in the future, we at the Sarawak government level will see how we can accommodate it,” she said.
She said this when met by reporters after officiating at The Power of P.L.A.Y. in the Early Childhood Education Symposium at Imperial Hotel on today.
She believed that should such an issue arise, the state government will do its best to help and it will not be a problem for them to come in to assist especially the needy.
“Our government always prioritises the welfare of the people, especially the vulnerable, and I am confident that the allocation for the welfare assistance will not be reduced,” she said.
Earlier it was reported that the government will restructure allocations to achieve a savings target of at least 5.0 per cent from the remaining operating allocation for 2022 to help finance part of the additional expenditure relating to subsidies for the welfare of the people.
The Ministry of Finance ( MoF) hence will finalise and issue a Restricted Warrant to state the amount of allocation that will be reduced.
