The government is ready to implement the granting of a RM200 rebate for the purchase of the 3G smart mobile phones to youths between the ages of 21 and 30 beginning Jan 1, next year.

Information, Communications and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim was confident the programme could be implemented without any problem due to the well-planned preparations made by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

However, the ministry was scrutinising the actual meaning of the term ‘smartphone’ used and the price rate that would qualify the buyer to receive the cash rebate, he told reporters after launching the ministry’s Innovations Day 2012 at the National Museum in Kuala Lumpur today.

“When this has been carried out, I feel there is no problem any more (to implement the rebate). Many people have asked, so we want to give ample space for them to contact the MCMC directly or the shops and agents that have been registered,” he said.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, when tabling the Budget 2013 in Parliament last September, had announced the granting of the one-off rebate of RM200 for youths to purchase one unit of the 3G smart mobile phones aimed at providing access to the information highway to them.

Commenting on the review of the guidelines in the purchase of dramas from local production houses especially from the aspect of payment, Rais said it would be carried out according to the market price.

“If necessary, we will come up with a new rate. But for the moment, RTM pays the highest price for dramas or telemovies. Hopefully, other stations like Astro and Media Prima can pay the same rate as RTM,” he said.

He said the main objective for the review was to enable the country’s creative industry involving talent to get the proper recognition.

- Bernama