IPOH, Jan 2: The Perak state government, through Yayasan Perak, has allocated RM600,000 to benefit about 3,000 babies born this year through the Perak Children’s Education Savings Fund (TASPEN).
Yayasan Perak said the donation, which will be channelled to the Fund, is an initiative of the state government to encourage educational savings for children born in Perak.
“The contribution of RM200 per person is in the form of educational savings into the National Education Savings Scheme (SSPN) Prime Account. This initiative is part of the ‘Tuisyen Cikgu Saarani (TCS)’ programme,” the foundation said in a statement.
It added that the state government has allocated about RM6.47 million, with a total of 32,351 babies having already received the benefit since it was created in 2010, with Yayasan Perak entrusted with managing the contribution together with the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN).
It also said that every RM200 donated will be deposited in the SSPN Prime Account, a savings account specifically designed as a long-term education savings account with a certain rate of return and advantages offered by PTPTN.
“It is the state government’s hope, through Yayasan Perak, that the initial savings of RM200 will continue to be added from time to time until these children reach the age of 18.
“For example, with savings of RM50 a month or RM600 a year, each parent will have savings of almost RM16,000, based on a four per cent annual return rate. This amount will certainly increase if the monthly savings are higher than RM50,” it added.
Earlier, Yayasan Perak, in collaboration with Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun (HRPB) Ipoh, held a brief ceremony to present TASPEN vouchers to mothers who delivered their New Year babies yesterday.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad, who is also the chairman of Yayasan Perak, celebrated the birth of the New Year babies by presenting RM200 TASPEN vouchers at the maternity ward of HRPB here today.
A total of 18 New Year babies were recorded at HRPB yesterday and, as a start, a total of RM10,000 was presented to the babies born at HRPB.
— BERNAMA