Early incentive payout on Feb 23

PUTRAJAYA: The Early Incentive Payment of RM2,000 to all civil servants Grade 56 and below, including contract appointees, will be disbursed on Feb 23.

Those in the Jawatan Utama Sektor Awam (Jusa or Public Sector Superscale) will also receive a payment of RM1,000, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced during the Finance Ministry monthly gathering here yesterday.

“RM1,000 will be given to those in the Jawatan Utama Sektor Awam involving the police, Fire Department, Armed Forces and all uniformed personnel,” he said.

“An incentive payment of RM1,000 will also be made to all government retirees, including pensionable and non-pensionable veterans,” he added, BK reported.

Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the Early Incentive Payment would be channelled while waiting for the Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA) review to be finalised.

He added that the report of the SSPA review is expected to be completed within two months, before being presented to the Cabinet for final approval.

“I have started the SSPA meeting with the Chief Secretary to the Government (Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali) and the Public Service director-general (Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz), and (they) agreed to speed it up,” Anwar said.

Previously, the media reported that the Interim Report 1 on the SSPA review had been submitted to Anwar on Jan 19.

When tabling Budget 2024 on Oct 13 last year, the Prime Minister announced that the full implementation of the SSPA would begin in 2025.

Anwar said the government would not only focus on the welfare of civil servants, but also those in need, including settlers and farmers.

“The government has increased the Rubber Production Incentive to RM3 per kg this year, compared with RM2.50 per kg in 2022,” he said.

“For padi farmers, we raised the Padi Price Subsidy Scheme from RM360 per tonne in 2022 to RM500 per tonne last year and raised the floor price for rice to RM1,300 from RM1,200 a tonne,” he added.

He also said the Early Schooling Aid for all pupils had started to be paid from last month to help parents prepare for the new school session.

Anwar said the increase in aid for the people was possible because of the government’s success in reducing costs that were considered wasteful.

He said this is in addition to the success of several programmes, such as the targeted electricity subsidy and the floated chicken prices.

“All this helps us get better results and the services of enforcement bodies such as Customs and LHDN (Inland Revenue Board) can bring better results,” he added.