Socso approves 292,033 wage subsidy applications
The Social Security Organisation (Socso) has approved 293,033 applications under the Wage Subsidy Programme (PSU) involving an allocation of RM4.03 billion as of yesterday, said its chief executive officer Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed.
He said the applications, which involved 2.2 million workers, were mostly from employers in the micro industries and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The Social Security Organisation (Socso) has approved 293,033 applications under the Wage Subsidy Programme (PSU) involving an allocation of RM4.03 billion as of yesterday, said its chief executive officer Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed.
He said the applications, which involved 2.2 million workers, were mostly from employers in the micro industries and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“Within one month of its introduction on April 1, Socso received 248,216 applications from employers involving 1.98 million workers,” he said as a guest on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme here today.
He welcomed the government's decision to extend the PSU by another three months, saying companies especially SMEs still require financial assistance to further stabilise their operations.
“This is so that they would not take drastic measures like laying off workers,” he said.
Meanwhile, commenting on the upgrading of the Socso job portal which has been announced in the National Economic Recovery Plan (Penjana), he said everyone can access the portal for free and also to receive assistance on job search and training.
“The portal, under the Employment Insurance System (EIS), has been established for quite some time to help workers who lost their jobs. We upgraded the portal so that not only Socso contributors or those under the EIS but also fresh graduates, the unemployed and the like can use it.
“Those staying in areas lacking internet access do not have to worry because they can go to the Rural Internet Centres (PID) in their area and the PID operators trained by Socso will help them to use the portal,” he said.
Responding to public concerns over possible duplication with similar private portals, he said it is not an issue as the focus of Socso is to help employers to find workers and job seekers to look for a job.
On Friday, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin unveiled Penjana, themed Building the Economy Together, comprising 40 initiatives worth RM35 billion, aimed at empowering the people, boosting businesses and stimulating the economy, of which RM10 billion is direct fiscal injection.
Among the Socso-related initiatives are the employee recruitment incentive and training aid programme, social protection and training for gig economy workers, and flexible work arrangement incentives.
- Bernama
