KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — The Rural and Regional Development Ministry is allocating RM75 million for the Income Increment Programme (PPP), which aims at releasing the participants from the shackles of poverty and improving their living standards through economic activities, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Its deputy minister Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi said the programme which targeted 7,500 participants from the rural areas, would focus on raising their income, especially in agriculture and economic planning.

"The programme provides financial assistance and management (support) to enable the target group to carry out economic projects. Assistance is provided in various forms including infrastructure covering assets, premises, workshops, retail spaces, machines, raw materials, trainings and basic skills courses through the implementing agency.

"The maximum allowance given under PPP is RM10,000 per participant according to the scope of the economic project,” he said when replying to Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohamad (BN-Lipis) during Question Time.

The MP had wanted to know the ministry’s effort to increase the income of rural dwellers through various agricultural programmes and economic plans.

Nanta said the economic projects carried out were based on four categories namely the agro-based businesses, small businesses, service activities and agricultural activities.

He said the ministry also helped rubber smallholders to grow cash crops to increase their income and to overcome the recent rubber price drops.

The ministry also carried out other economic programmes such as the Mobilepreneur, Rural Business Challenge (RBC), Rural Economic Financing Scheme (SPED) and organising the Rural Entrepreneur Carnival (KUD) 2017, he added. — Bernama