GEORGE TOWN – Tourism and creative industry players in Penang can now apply for funding assistance through initiatives of the Penang Business Continuity Zero Interest Loan, or Skim Peka 2.1 and Creative Leap Loan to help them sustain their business during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Penang Tourism and Creative Economy (PETACE) Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said it is important to set a common action plan to provide timely relief to groups most affected by the pandemic.
Both initiatives are open for application, he said in a statement here today.
He said Penang is also the only state to allocate RM10 million to assist small enterprises, the self-employed and entrepreneurs by providing interest-free loans to affected businesses in the tourism industry.
“PETACE had also taken proactive measures to alleviate the financial burden of industry players by urging the relevant authorities such as financial institutions to provide a moratorium for loan takers.
“The Penang government also remains committed in helping Penangites to mitigate the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and movement control order (MCO) 2.0,” he added.
He said the state government's initiatives could complement the RM15 billion Perlindungan Ekonomi dan Rakyat Malaysia (PERMAI) assistance package announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin recently.
Yeoh said a more holistic national recovery financing for the tourism sector is needed to ensure business survival, job retention, and the restart of tourism operations.
Earlier, Skim Peka 2.0 was offered by state development agency the Penang Development Corporation to eligible Penang tourism industry players.
The closing date for application for both loan schemes is February 26, and more information is available at https://www.pdc.gov.my/. – Bernama, January 23, 2021
