During the tabling of Budget 2021, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul has announced that the government will be financial aid to B40 individuals for their telecommunication needs under Program Jaringan Prihatin.
According to the Finance Minister, eligible individuals will receive RM180 in telecommunications credit and it will benefit 8 million individuals from the B40 group. This allocation will cost the government RM1.5 billion.
This credit can be used for internet subscription or to subsidise the purchase of new smartphones. Telcos will also provide matching benefits worth RM1.5 billion in the form of free data.
There isn’t much info on the disbursement of the RM180 credit and we expect the Finance Ministry to provide further details ahead of its implementation in 2021.