| Fizah HAB |
IN THE effort to formulate new counter-measures pertaining to the issue of poverty, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports will focus on 100 aid recipients of the Monthly Welfare Assistance (BKB), and their issues will be addressed jointly by all special committees to help them rise out of poverty with suitable solutions.
This was stated by Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports YB Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof during the morning session of yesterday’s Legislative Council Meeting in response to a question raised by Legislative Council member YB Datin Paduka Dayang Hajah Salbiah binti Haji Sulaiman.
“Some of the strategies include increasing monitoring efforts on the monthly welfare assistance recipients and identifying guidelines in provision of assistance by aiming use of the minimal rate of basic necessities cost as measure for proving any type of assistance and streamlining the current policies and procedures used by the agencies, including Brunei Islamic Religious Council (MUIB), Ministry of Education, Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health,” said the minister.
“The next step would then be formulating a new national assistance programme by creating two separate programmes. The first programme focuses on individuals who are unemployed or unable to secure employment, which include disabled individuals and elderly – those who are identified as high risk in falling into the poverty circle, and guardians of disabled individuals.
YB Datin Paduka Dayang Hajah Salbiah binti Haji Sulaiman at the Legislative Council Meeting. – BAHY-IAH BAKIR
“The second programme, called the working incentive programme, focuses on groups that do not have sufficient funds to support their daily lives or their children’s schooling. Provisions of incentives will be given to encourage them to continue working,” the minister explained.
The minister also proposed to provide financial resources that are more resilient to fund aid programmes through a relevant action plan towards addressing the issue of poverty by some of the special committees headed by the ministry.
“Special committees for the issue of poverty and the special committee of the institution of family and women’s issues should be assured that actions specified in the plan will be updated again to ensure the effectiveness of its implementation and the ministry will make sure that all planned programmes will include the achievement that can be implemented or a key performance indicator, which is geared towards the achievement of results in line with social security of Brunei Vision 2035.”
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