KUCHING – The Sarawak government has agreed to give rental payment exemption to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating at 15 ready-built factories at Phase 3 of the Demak Baru Industrial Park here for six months from July.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said the decision involved a total rental payment exemption of RM123,750 under the Sayang Sarawakku Special Aid package to help reduce the operational costs of the affected SMEs.
“The state government is also giving rental payment exemptions amounting to RM2 million until December 31, 2021 to SMEs operating at business premises owned by the state’s statutory bodies and government-linked companies,” he said at a news conference held at his office, here, today.
“A rental discount of 50% is also being given to 3,200 tenants of Sarawak Housing Development Corporation schemes, and 10,000 registered hawkers renting market and food stalls under the local authorities until December 31.
“Besides that, a discount of up to 25% is being given for water and electricity bills, and a 30% discount on quit rent and assessment rates, so as to lessen the people’s burden, including that of entrepreneurs. All these forms of aid are being implemented until December 31,” he added.
Awang Tengah, who is also the Sarawak international trade and industry, industrial terminal and entrepreneur development minister, said an additional allocation of RM10 million had been approved by the state government for grants under the Graduands Towards Entrepreneurship (Gerak) programme and the Technical and Vocational Entrepreneurs (Ustev) programme.
“Up to August, 264 of the 525 applications for the Gerak programme were approved with the grants worth RM3.34 million, while 388 of the 596 applications for the Ustev programme were also approved with the grants given amounting to RM4.42 million,” he added.
On the status of aid programmes implemented by his ministry, Awang Tengah said 1,463 applications received for the Sarawak Micro Credit Scheme from entrepreneurs in the B40 group, and small and micro enterprise operators were approved for aid amounting to RM48 million.
He also said that 411 applications for the Medium and Small Industry Loan Scheme for Bumiputera SMEs were approved with the loans amounting to RM30.13 million. – Bernama, September 8, 2021
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