By Zareef Muzammil
SHAH ALAM, Nov 16 — The state government has set 16 essential items which can be purchased by Bantuan Kehidupan Sejahtera Selangor (Bingkas) recipients to ensure they spend wisely.
The items include rice, meat, chicken, fish, vegetables, eggs, flour, noodles, rice vermicelli, bread, spices, salt, sugar, sauce, soy sauce, and cooking oil, according to state executive councillor for social welfare Anfaal Saari.
[caption id="attachment_335208" align="alignleft" width="420"]
State executive councillor for social welfare Anfaal Saari responding to queries during the Selangor State Legislative Assembly session at the State Secretariat Building in Shah Alam, on November 16, 2023. — Picture by HAFIZ OTHMAN/SELANGORKINI[/caption]
She said processed food, fast food, and canned food are not allowed to encourage recipients of the RM300 monthly assistance to prepare nutritious meals for their families.
"As of September 30, the purchasing pattern for rice was the highest at 33.17 per cent, while spices, sauce, and soy sauce were at 18.01 per cent. Meat or seafood accounted for 13.49 per cent, followed by vegetables and fruits (7.21 per cent)," Anfaal said.
She was responding to a question from Kampung Tunku state assemblyman Lim Yi Wei regarding Bingkas recipients' purchasing patterns during the Selangor State Legislative Assembly session yesterday.
Meanwhile, Anfaal said an exit policy has been established for the programme, with a benefit period for recipients who registered for only 24 months.
"In the 22nd month, recipients will receive a notification to update their information for the review," she said.
The Bingkas initiative replaces the Kasih Ibu Smart Selangor (KISS) and KISS IT (Single Mothers) programmes, which are part of Iltizam Selangor Penyayang (ISP) involving a RM108 million allocation.
Each eligible family will receive RM300 in monthly assistance, or RM3,600 annually, with the payment distributed through the Wavpay e-wallet app to facilitate spending by recipients.
