GEORGE TOWN – Budget 2022 lacks the necessary incentives and monetary aid to help with a speedy recovery for the tourism industry, said Penang exco Yeoh Soon Hin.
The exco in charge of tourism had a lukewarm reaction to the allocations the federal government marked for the industry, saying they do not meet expectations.
Yeoh said the federal government’s earlier pledge to help with the industry’s recovery is not reflected in the national 2022 budget.
“The budget tabled last week was not comprehensive and inclusive enough. It is as though tourism is sidelined,” he said in a statement.
Yeoh said that much-anticipated zero-interest loans and moratorium for the tourism industry were not included in the budget tabled by Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz last Friday.
“Ever since the pandemic started, the tourism sector was among the first to shut and the last to resume. This has caused many industry players to spiral in cash flow difficulties from which many have also ceased operations.
“Although domestic tourism is now allowed, many of them are still struggling to make ends meet having to fork out a hefty amount to restart their businesses.”
Yeoh highlighted that the tourism sector has unfortunately gotten the short end of the stick again compared with other sectors.
He also said that the RM85 million of special assistance allocated for tourism operators registered under the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry may not be ample for the industry considering Malaysia’s high-volume tourism operators.
Yeoh said incentive schemes for the tourism market such as airline incentives are essential to maintain Malaysia’s competitive advantage in the international market, especially when the country mulls lifting international borders to welcome travellers.
“However, these incentive schemes are also nowhere to be found in the budget.”
Yeoh said he believes more could have been allocated under the mammoth RM332.1 billion Budget 2022 to kickstart the nation’s recovery in tourism and its creative economy.
“They have suffered huge losses and are in dire straits to survive. It’s not just about lives, but also livelihoods in which their employment is still at stake.” – The Vibes, November 4, 2021
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