Exco calls for the creation of a cashless payment mechanism for Johor People’s Agro Bazaars’ sellers statewide
JOHOR BARU, June 16 — The Johor state government will work with the state’s Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) to establish a cashless purchase mechanism that be used at all Johor People’s Agro Bazaars (BRAJ) across the country.
State Youth, Sports, Entrepreneur Development, Cooperatives and Human Resources Committee chairman Mohd Hairi Mad Shah said the system also allows the business owners to differentiate the purchases made by locals or foreigners, especially Singaporeans, who also shop at the bazaar.
“This step is to ensure that locals can fully enjoy the items on offer and also subsidised food items such as chicken eggs and fresh chicken that is sold at all BRAJ’s.
“About 40 per cent of the total visitors in the BRAJ at the farmer’s market in Datin Halimah, Larkin here consist of Singaporeans.
“To ask for a prospective buyer identification card is not practical. So, perhaps we need to find a mechanism with Fama, such as a cashless purchase system, where Malaysians can be identified through the system,” said Mohd Hairi at the BRAJ sales programme at Datin Halimah in Larkin here today.
He was commenting on the need to introduce a cashless payment system that can benefit Malaysians, especially for subsidised food items.
Mohd Hairi, who is also the Larkin assemblyman, said the state government had allocated RM1.5 million for the implementation of the BRAJ sales programme in 115 locations involving the farmers' markets in Johor.
At present, he explained that the amount was given to Fama for the implementation of BRAJ where four to five locations were involved within a month.
“However starting in July, we will make sure at least seven to eight locations are implemented to boost this programme further,” he said.
The BRAJ, which started since February, will end in April next year. As of yesterday, the BRAJ’s have recorded total sales of RM2.49 million.
