SARA contribution boosts local economy, Amir Hamzah says

THE Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) programme is not only providing crucial support to eligible recipients to help with the cost of living, but it is also playing a key role in stimulating the local economy.

Minister of Finance II, Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan stated that through this targeted assistance initiative, many local grocery stores and mini markets have shown interest in registering as authorised spending locations for SARA recipients.

“Last year, when we started the SARA programme, we had 700,000 recipients. But what we did was track down these recipients and register them with participating stores, including grocery stores and mini markets,” Bernama quoted him saying today.

“This year, we have expanded the program to include 1,700 stores across the country. We have also expanded the system to include recipients in Sabah and Sarawak by using the National Identity Card for registration.”

Earlier, Amir Hamzah visited a supermarket where SARA recipients were purchasing essential daily items.

Looking ahead, he mentioned that starting in April, 4.7 million recipients of the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) program will also receive the SARA assistance. This will increase the total number of SARA recipients to 5.4 million, up from 700,000 last year.

In his comments about the response from SARA recipients, Amir Hamzah noted that many have expressed their gratitude for the government’s support through the programme.

“Many of the recipients are grateful for the assistance provided by the government. Besides SARA, some of them also receive the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) support, which allows them to spend more comfortably, especially in preparation for their children's schooling,” he said.

As of February 13, the Minister shared that more than RM66 million has been spent by SARA recipients at participating registered stores.

This assistance programme is part of the government's continued effort to ease the financial burden on lower-income groups and foster economic activity at the community level. - February 15. 2025