Gov’t To Sponsor Vending Machines For B40 Group To Sell Food Items Under People’s Income Initiative

By Lara Kramer  •  28 Feb 2023 in News

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Yesterday, economy minister Rafizi Ramli officially launched the People’s Income Initiative (Inisiatif Pendapatan Rakyat – IPR), that allows for B40 community members to generate a higher income and adjust to today’s cost of living.

Noting that the government cannot continue giving out cash handouts in the long-term, the Pandan MP stated that this would comprise three initiatives – Inisiatif Usahawan Tani (Intan), Inisiatif Usahawan Makanan (Insan) and Inisiatif Operator Perkhidmatan (Ikhsan).

The unity administration announced under the Insan programme that it would pay the rent for the vending machines and locations for two years, enabling the B40 community to pursue supplementary enterprises like selling food via vending machines.

“The goal is to use vending machines to sell prepared meals like breakfast and lunch for as little as RM2. People would have the chance to make extra money thanks to this,” he clarified.

In the meantime, Intan will focus on groups with an agricultural interest. Food crops with substantial trade and import volumes, like corn, ginger, and chillies, will be cultivated. To make this work, the government will release 800 acres (324 ha) of federal land to the public, allowing them to engage in agricultural pursuits.

Regarding Ikhsan, Rafizi informed the media during the Ampang launch ceremony that this project would employ workers with maintenance and service skills, explaining that this would contribute to resolving the issue of a labour shortage in the public sector.

According to the eKasih system, 2.91 million families are classified as B40, whereas 126,372 families are currently listed as “hardcore poor”. These attempts to increase their income are anticipated to benefit approximately 150,000 people.

Visit this website to learn more about the People’s Income Initiative.