PUTRAJAYA, Feb 6 ― The Early Incentive Payment of RM2,000 to all civil servants grade 56 and below including contract appointees and RM1,000 to those in the Jawatan Utama Sektor Awam will be disbursed on February 23.

The matter was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during the monthly gathering of the Ministry of Finance here today.

"RM1,000 will be given to those in the Jawatan Utama Sektor Awam involving the police, fire department, armed forces and all uniformed personnel.

"An incentive payment of RM1,000 will also be made to all government retirees including pensionable and non-pensionable veterans,” he said.

Anwar, who is also Minister of Finance, said the Early Incentive Payment would be channelled while waiting for the Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA) review to be finalised.

Anwar said the report of the SSPA review is expected to be completed within two months, before being presented to the Cabinet for final approval.

"I have started the SSPA meeting with the Chief Secretary to the Government (Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali) and the director-general of Public Service (Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz), (they) agreed to speed it up,” he said.

Previously, the media reported that the Interim Report 1 on the SSPA review had been submitted to Anwar on January 19.

When tabling the 2024 Budget on October 13 last year, the Prime Minister announced that the full implementation of the SSPA would begin in 2025.

Anwar said the government would not only focus on the welfare of civil servants, but also all layers of the people in need including the settlers and farmers.

"The government has increased the Rubber Production Incentive to RM3 per kilogramme (kg) this year, compared to RM2.50 per kg in 2022. For paddy farmers, we paid the Padi Price Subsidy Scheme from RM360 per metric tonne in 2022 to RM500 per metric tonne last year, and raised the floor price for rice to RM1,300 from RM1,200 a metric tonne,” he said.

He said the Early Schooling Aid for all pupils had also started to be paid last month to help parents prepare for the new school session.

Anwar said the increase in aid for the people was possible because of the government's success in reducing costs that were considered wasteful, in addition to the success of several programmes such as the targeted electricity subsidy and the floated chicken prices.

"All this helps us get better results and the services of enforcement bodies such as customs and LHDN (Inland Revenue Board) can bring better results,” he added. ― Bernama