KOTA KINABALU:The Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Association of Sabah hopes the government can extend the wage subsidy programme and loan moratorium in Budget 2021, to be tabled todday, to help ensure their business continuity during this challenging time.
Its president, Foo Ngee Kee, said the programme is crucial for the SME players in the state who are badly hit following the COVID-19 pandemic, to enable them to remain resilient and help their businesses from deteriorating further.
“I hope the RM600 wage subsidy will be extended for another three to six months to enable the SMEs to pay their staff salary and ensure they are not laid off.
"The subsidy will help businesses to continue to operate. Without financial ability, the businesses will become worse and more may be forced to close.
“The same with moratorium. I hope it will be extended. It’s not that they (SMEs) don’t want to repay (their loans), it’s just that the current situation is really bad...not enough cash to roll,” he told Bernama when contacted yesterday.
The implementation of the programmes had provided a respite for the SMEs and their extension was important particularly so as Sabah is one of the states most severely affected by the pandemic, he said.
Sabah Women Entrepreneur President Datuk Dayang Haja Khatijah Datu Bachtiyal hoped the government can provide subsidy for delivery and raw materials cost besides empowering digitalisation in the state, as this has now become a platform for companies to continue their business online.
This would ensure that the SMEs continue to operate and able to market their products during this difficult period.
Meanwhile, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) senior lecturer at the faculty of Business, Economics and Accountancy, Dr Rafiq Idris said in a statement that the government should give special allocations post-Movement Control Order to strategic sectors such as the services sector which are severely affected, especially the tourism sector.
He said all sectors in Sabah needed support to revive the economic activities to avoid the SMEs from collapsing.
Rafiq said COVID-19 has caused market demand to drop significantly, and to cushion the impact, something must be done to stimulate spending and demand in the economy, including cash aid to the affected B40 and M40 group to minimise the impact and enabling them to spend.
“I hope the government will focus on the major sectors such as extending the stimulus package to 2021 to support or save the SMEs...giving cash aid to the vulnerable groups,” he said.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Fri Nov 06 2020
The extension of wage subsidy programme and loan moratorium is important particularly so as Sabah is one of the states most severely affected by the pandemic.
Kertas kabinet wujud sektor sukan dibentang dalam tempoh sebulan - Hannah
Hannah berkata dengan data yang lebih menyeluruh melibatkan sektor industri sukan nanti, pihaknya akan mampu merangsang pertumbuhan sukan di negara ini dengan lebih baik.
Tiga Syarikat Semikonduktor umum melabur di Pulau Pinang - Kon Yeow
Tiga syarikat semikonduktor dari China menyatakan komitmen untuk membuat pelaburan baharu di Pulau Pinang.
Pindaan garis panduan lawatan: Sekolah diharap susun semula program - Fadhlina
Semua sekolah diharap dapat menyusun semula program lawatan masing-masing berikutan pindaan Garis Panduan Lawatan Murid Sekolah pada tahun lepas bagi mengukuhkan pembelajaran di luar kelas, kata Menteri Pendidikan, Fadhlina Sidek.
Kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak dijaga sehingga tamat sekolah - KPM
Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia akan memastikan kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak 10 pegawai dan anggota Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia yang terkorban dalam nahas helikopter di Lumut, Perak, terus dijaga sehingga mereka tamat persekolahan.
Chegubard ditahan polis berkaitan hantaran mengenai kasino di Forest City
Chegubard ditahan di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Dang Wangi di sini berkaitan hantaran mengenai pengoperasian kasino di Forest City pada Sabtu.
Zahid minta pihak dalam BN buka "buku baharu"
Ahmad Zahid menegaskan senario politik tanah air sudah berubah dan terdapat banyak video lama dari parti lawan yang meminta pengundi menyokong DAP.
Malaysia kongsi pengalaman dalam usaha berterusan mempertahan Palestin
Delegasi negara akan berkongsikan peranan Malaysia dalam usaha berterusan mempertahankan nasib Palestin dalam Persidangan Liga Parlimen Al-Quds kelima yang berlangsung di Istanbul, Turki pada Sabtu.
Universiti Malaya mohon maaf kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia
Jabatan Pengajian Antarabangsa dan Strategik, Universiti Malaya memohon maaf kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia berhubung kenytaaan tidak bertanggungjawab Profesor Dr Bruce Gilley pada 24 April lalu.
Genting Malaysia nafi terbabit perbincangan
Selepas Berjaya Corporation Bhd dan Kerajaan Negeri Johor, kini Genting Malaysia Bhd pula menafikan sebarang penglibatan dalam perbincangan mengenai pengoperasian kasino di Forest City, Johor.
Berita tempatan pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Berikut adalah berita yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang Sabtu, 27 April 2024.