Azlan Othman
Some BND480 million has been spent on tackling COVID-19 cases in the Sultanate. However, this does not include provisions for student allowances and public food rations.
Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah said this at the press conference yesterday, adding that “it has been a huge expenditure. We haven’t started financial year 2022-2023, and we have already committed BND260 million”.
As the government works to help the people, public cooperation is sought, such as allowing for the provision of food ration to individuals in need, should an individual under quarantine order (QO) be able to purchase his own meal, the minister said.
He added, “Members of the public can play their part by informing the relevant agencies,” while highlighting issues of transportation and food wastage.
The minister also said, “There is a programme to provide medicine and health supplements to people under QO, as well as antigen rapid test (ART) kits, especially for the underprivileged, which has yet been included in the total amount (BND480 million).”
With regards to the COVID-19 relief fund, Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew said, “BND3.28 million had been collected since its establishment last year, which is still open. The money collected in 2020 was used for the procurement of medicine.”
Over the last few years, the country’s commitment to curbing the pandemic amounted to BND286 million, exceeding the figure mentioned at the recently-concluded 18th Legislative Council session, with BND124.5 million channelled towards increasing vaccine supply, improving BruHealth app, procuring medical equipment, purchase of ART kits, obtaining essential items for isolation centres, laboratories and allowances for frontliners.
