PEMERKASA: RM3,000 'One-Off' Grant For Over 5,000 Msian Tourism Agencies - PM Muhyiddin

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (Bernama) -- The government has agreed to channel a 'one-off' special aid grant of RM3,000 to more than 5,000 tourism agencies registered with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) under the Strategic Programme to Empower the People and the Economy (PEMERKASA). Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, when announcing the programme today, said the government had also agreed to provide a one-off cash assistance of RM600 to homestay operators registered with MOTAC. "It is to reduce the burden and support the recovery of the tourism sector, which has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic," he said in his special address which was broadcast live on television. Muhyiddin said the government had also agreed to extend a special 10 per cent discount on electricity bills by another three months until June 30, 2021, to improve the cash flow and reduce the business costs of hotel operators, theme parks, convention centres, shopping malls, local airline offices, and tourism and adventure agencies. He said with the extension of the discount, the government is expected to bear costs of about RM135 million.