RM2.6M SPENT ON FREE WATER FOR 327,000
Move benefited those in the B40 group, says Johor rep
JOHOR has spent RM2.6 million in September and October to provide free water to the low-income (B40) group. State Investment, International Trade and Utilities Committee chairman Jimmy Puah Wee Tse said 327,207 people had received the aid since it was implemented.
He said the 10-cubic-metre free water grant was initiated since September last year for eligible recipients.
“The process of identifying accounts worthy of receiving free water is based on the list of data recipients from the 2018 Living Assistance Scheme (BSH) Johor.
“BSH data is supplied by the Inland Revenue Board.”
He was replying to questions from Abd Taib Abu Bakar (Barisan Nasional-Machap), Yeo Tung Siong (Pakatan HarapanPekan Nenas) and Zaiton Ismail (BN-Sungai Balang) on the implementation of the scheme, the number of people who benefited from it and costs to the government.
Puah said the number of eligible accounts receiving the free water supply stood at 205,549 in September, but increased to 205,926 in October.
He said although the value of 10 cubic metres of free water was only RM8, but the beneficiaries appreciated the effort.
“RM8 is valuable to them (B40 recipients),” he said, adding that it could also ease their cost of living burden.