KUALA LUMPUR: The government will implement 'Skim Jaminan Penjanaan Pekerjaan' (Employment Generation Guarantee Scheme) or JanaKerja targeted to create 500,000 employment opportunities.
Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said JanaKerja, which will also include up-skilling and training programmes, will cost the government RM3.7 billion.
"Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the country's unemployment rate has increased to 5.3 per cent or 820,000 people became unemployed in May this year, the highest since 1989.
"Following the reopening of several economic activities and the rolling out of numerous economic stimulus packages such as the Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package and Economic Recovery Plan (Penjana), the unemployment rate has slightly dropped to 4.7 per cent in August.
"Hence, the government will implement JanaKerja next year," he said in his speech during the tabling of the 2021 Budget here today.
Meanwhile, the government intends to expand the National Health Insurance Scheme (MySalam).
The minister said a total RM64 million has to date been disbursed to some 56,000 patients.
"Besides that, 19,000 people have received an overall compensation of RM11 million due to Covid-19," he said.