KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11  -- Recognising the hardships caused by low rubber prices, the government will allocate RM200 million for Bantuan Musim Tengkujuh (Rainy Season Aid) to eligible rubber smallholders under the  Rubber Industries Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA) and Lembaga Industri Getah Sabah (LIGS).

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said the government will also allocate RM100 million for the Rubber Production Incentive in 2020 to enhance the income of smallholders faced with low rubber prices.

“At the same time, the government is disappointed by the anti-palm oil campaign launched by the European Union and the United States,” he said when tabling Budget 2020 in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Budget 2020, themed “Driving Growth and Equitable  Outcomes towards Shared Prosperity”  is the Pakatan Harapan government’s  second budget after  taking over Putrajaya in May 2018.

 Lim added that the government will continue to support the smallholdings industry by taking various steps to look after the welfare of smallholders.

For the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) community, he said the government will allocate RM810 million for their welfare whereby RM250 million is for an income enhancement programme benefiting 11,600 settlers while RM300 million to write off the interest of settlers’ debts.

RM100 million will be for FELDA water supply projects and RM70 million for housing the new generation of FELDA settlers.

“RM90 million is for the upgrading of FELDA roads and basic infrastructure,” said Lim.

Separately, the government will provide  RM738  million for RISDA  and  the Federal Land Consolidation  and Rehabilitation Authority  (FELCRA) to implement various income generating progammes that will benefit more than 300,000 RISDA smallholders and 100,000 FELCRA participants.

-- BERNAMA