Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said the government plans to expand the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) programme by increasing the number of participating retail outlets that accept MyKad transactions. The expansion will also cover rural and remote areas to improve access to the programme nationwide.
According to Amir Hamzah, more than 13,500 shops participate in the programme, including 6,500 sundry shops. The government is aiming to increase the number of participating sundry shops to 10,000 across Malaysia. At the time of writing, 1,493 shops in Sabah are participating in the programme.
“It is not limited to major towns but extends to villages and interior, as our goal is to ease access for eligible recipients,” Amir Hamzah said. He further noted that the MyKad delivery mechanism allows beneficiaries to directly redeem essential goods at participating vendors.
As a result, the programme supports both recipients in need of essential goods and local entrepreneurs. Amir Hamzah also noted that sales of a particular product tend to increase when it is included under SARA.
Amir Hamzah also mentioned that the government is exploring ways to reduce onboarding costs for small retailers. This includes providing more accessible point-of-sale (POS) systems.
In addition to retail outlets, he said the government plans to expand the range of products available through the programme. The minister noted that the government is continuously evaluating the eligibility of additional items, including vegetables, for SARA inclusion. Currently, more than 150,000 products are available through the programme.
(Source: Bernama)
