MIRI – As the saying goes: promises are meant to be kept.
It is based on this that the Sarawak business community is asking to be given the financial assistance under the Bantuan Khas Sarawak Sayangku (BKSS) 7.0 scheme promised by ruling coalition Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) in October last year.
The recipients for the aid comprise small- and medium-scale enterprises (SME), as well as micro-business groupings, highlighted their frustrations to Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) Miri chief Bruce Chai over the apparent lack of payouts.
“The coalition had promised to grant financial relief of RM10,000 under BKSS 7.0 to each registered SME in Sarawak to help them recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It had also promised micro-businesses, like petty traders, the same amount under the same scheme.
GPS had announced last year that the BKSS 7.0 will be paid starting October 2021. But until today, no such payments for BKSS 7.0 had been paid out to the deserving recipients.
“During the recent 12th election last month, the coalition promised to give BKSS 8.0 to Sarawakians.
“How can the GPS promise BKSS 8.0 when BKSS 7.0 that it promised in October last year has not even been paid out?” Chai told The Vibes.
“We (PSB) have received complaints about these non-payments.
“I have checked with other small-scale business people in other parts of Sarawak, and they too confirmed that they have not received the BKSS 7.0 promised to them.
“They had gone through the lengthy process of submitting all sorts of business licences, personal documents, application letters and sets of questionnaires as required by the BKSS agency, which is under the purview of the Sarawak Local Government Ministry.
“The GPS last year said BKSS 7.0 will be paid out starting in October. That BKSS 7.0 promise must be fulfilled by now.
If GPS is really sincere in wanting to give BKSS 8.0 as promised in the state polls, they must first pay out BKSS 7.0 as promised.”
Chai said the ministry in charge of BKSS 7.0 has, until today, yet to confirm a deadline to disburse the RM10,000 payment to deserving business folks, despite multiple queries.
He urged GPS leaders to clarify and explain why they had failed to honour their promises of BKSS 7.0 and yet made promises to give out BKSS 8.0.
“The PSB, an opposition party in the state, is taking notes,” Chai said, when commenting on the growing disappointments expressed by the entrepreneurs. – The Vibes, January 5, 2022
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