The government will give K20,000 in stimulus money to each of 5.4 million households across the country to counter the economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a government spokesperson said.

U Zaw Htay, spokesperson of the President’s Office, said his office will seek the permission of others agencies to make the payments.

“We have to submit it to the economic committee and we need the permission of the Myanmar government,” he said. “It will be completed in one or two weeks.”

Tens of thousands of Myanmar workers lost their jobs when factories closed due to shortages of raw materials and cancelled orders due to the economic slowdown triggered by the disease.

Also, hundreds of thousands of local farmers were not able to export their produce due to the closing of borders and slowdown in local markets.

U Myint Than, director general of the General Administration Department, said earlier the government will enlist the help of digital payment service providers to deliver the stimulus payments in hard-to-reach areas.

The mobile payment system will be first be tried out in Pobbathiri township in Nay Pyi Taw, Meikhtila township in Mandalay, and Kalaw township in Shan State.

People in other townships can collect the aid from their village or ward administrators.

Myanmar has 287 cases of COVID-19, six deaths and 196 recoveries so far.