JOHOR BARU – Small and micro businesses in Johor are hoping the new government under the leadership of the 10th prime minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, will introduce more initiatives for small and medium enterprises (SME) to play a role in helping to stimulate the nation’s economic sector.
Speaking to The Vibes, Persatuan Pembangunan dan Kebajikan Bazar Karat JB chairman Fuad Rahmat said any plans to spur the local economic sector should involve two-way communication between the government and local traders.
“SMEs are part and parcel of the economy, (so) we hope there will be special packages that the government will introduce to empower these groups.
“These stimulus packages should be studied properly so that they will cover all traders, especially in terms of providing shariah-compliant business loans and also entrepreneurship programmes to reskill and upskill these SMEs,” said the 44-year-old business owner.
He also expressed hope that the red tape for SMEs to apply and obtain funds and assistance for their business will be reduced by the new government.
Fuad said that some 365 traders under his association were hugely impacted during the movement control order at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic as the popular night markets in the city were not allowed to operate, leaving most of the traders out of jobs, with no source of income.
“Even after Bazar Karat was reopened after four months of closure, the number of visitors dropped as people are still wary of the Covid-19 virus and this impacted the traders’ sales.
“We hope that the politicians at federal and state levels are mindful of the plight faced by the traders here at Bazar Karat, as it is one of the most popular tourist attractions among local and foreign tourists.”
Meanwhile, Persatuan Usahawan Wanita Bumiputera (Usahanita) Johor chapter chairman A. Suraya Ahmad Salleh expressed hope that the financing criteria for SMEs to obtain business loans can be relaxed.
“Yes, we admit that the government had allocated grants to empower SMEs, but the opportunities are somewhat scarce, so perhaps the allocation should be expanded while the criteria for these businesses to get funds should be relaxed to ensure more businesses will benefit from the grants,” Suraya said when contacted.
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She added that Usahanita as an NGO had always lent a hand to businesswomen who have just established their businesses to ensure they operate, remain competitive, and continue to grow.
Usahanita also insisted that all businesswomen under the association register their businesses with the Companies Commission of Malaysia to ensure the legitimacy of these businesses and for them to be entitled to any assistance from the government.
Anwar, in his maiden press conference as the prime minister, said the new government’s priority is to tackle the rising cost of living, which he described as “suppressing and gripping” the lives of the rakyat.
Malaysia’s inflation rate for the month of October stood at 4.0%, which is slightly lower compared to the 4.5% recorded in the month prior, as revealed by the Statistics Department. – The Vibes, November 27, 2022
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