Budget 2021 : The rakyat's wishlist

By ZAIDI ISHAM ISMAIL

Budget 2021 is two days away and what would the rakyat's wishlist be? 

Here are some highlights.

More bite for frontliners

Naturally, the rakyat wants to be safe and healthy shielded from COVID-19.

All the rakyat wants is that the government continue to take care of them and fight against the pandemic.

This can be done by giving more aid and assistance to our frontliners.

RM1,000 aid a month

The government has been very caring towards the rakyat churning out various assistance schemes ever since COVID-19 struck earlier this year such as Bantuan Prihatin Nasional and Penjana.

Perhaps the government can help sustain the aid by giving each household RM1,000 a month to tide over the difficult times.

Electricity subsidy

Ever since the lockdown, the rakyat has nowhere to go but work from home.

This will naturally drive up electricity and water bills.

Perhaps the government should extend the electricity subsidy it granted out earlier this year.

Extend loan moratorium

There has been a lot of calls by various quarters that the moratorium should be extended.

The National Union of Banking Employees and the SME Association said COVID-19 is far from over and the rakyat need a temporary reprieve from their financial obligations.

Discount on healthcare products

The rakyat has become more health conscious and it is high time that the government give discounts on sanitisers, soaps and supplements.

Ease tax on gadgets, laptops

The school kids are staying at home and learning on-line.

But not all of them can afford lap tops, tablets and other gadgets.

Discounts should be given to the suppliers of these IT products so that no school going children will be left behind.

Sustain the wage subsidy

This subsidy should be allowed to continue as it has helped companies immensely.

The government subsidy has given employers a life extension enabling them to sustain and pay their workers which is vital for the domestic economy.

Reduce the personal income tax

This is another issue which always crop up when the tough gets going.

However, the government must not be pressured as it must also ensure that its coffers are solid to prevent a nation-wide economic collapse.

Allow RM10,000 withdrawal from EPF account one

This issue has been hotly debated over the past week.

Although there are concerns over the adequacy of pension funds for our golden years, the fact of the matter is the rakyat need the money to sustain now.

Do away with the digital tax

One of the sterling sectors during this pandemic is the e-commerce sector.

The world's population have shifted to online shopping which has seen business revenues of online entrepreneurs shoot up through the roof.

It is only right that the government do away with the digital tax to further elevate the industry.

Upskill the retrenched workers

The National Association of Skilled Workers said the government must give more incentives to retrenched workers to upskill themselves.

As an example, the machine operator at a factory can be incentivised to undergo training to become a social media executive or manager.

Boost food security

There has been concerns that due to the pandemic, the food supplies will not be enough.

The government should take steps to ensure that food supplies for the rakyat is enough without having to import excessively.

Special mention : Solve the Selangor water issue

This is a perennial issue plaguing Selangor.

Perhaps the government can amalgamate officers from the Department of Environment and the local council to give more bite to enforcement activities and nab water polluters - DagangNews.com

The writer is former NST Business assistant editor