KUALA LUMPUR (June 16): The Finance Ministry is studying ways on how the government can provide additional assistance to the people, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.

He said the government is aware that some people are expecting the announcement of an additional aid package, following the announcement of the National Recovery Plan by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday.

"The government quite understands the pulse of the people… assistance is still there because not all the allocations announced previously have been spent.

"The prime minister has instructed the finance minister to submit a proposal, and I believe he (Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz) is studying ways on how the government can provide additional assistance (to the people)," he said during an interview in the Ruang Bicara programme on Bernama TV today.

The government has allocated RM380 billion or the equivalent of 28% of gross domestic product through economic stimulus packages.

Mustapa said so far about RM200 billion has been spent and there is still a balance.