MIRI, Oct 8 ― Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) is appealing to Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to extend the RM10,000 special one-off aid under the Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance (BKSS) 7.0 package to include micro enterprises.
Its secretary-general Datuk Sebastian Ting said micro enterprises play an important role in the state’s economy and need to be supported.
“Indeed this group has been greatly impacted by the pandemic, resulting in a huge drop in revenue and substantial losses. We fervently hope our chief minister will favourably consider including micro enterprises for the special one-off financial assistance of RM10,000,” he said in a statement yesterday.
On August 4 this year, Abang Johari announced that the state government will provide a special one-off financial aid of RM10,000 under BKSS 7.0 to active businesses, to be paid in two tranches of RM5,000 in September and December this year.
The aid is to help pandemic-hit businesses, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), cover their operational costs including rental and wages of their employees, the chief minister said.
According to Ting, feedback gathered by SUPP pointed to much confusion and disappointment among the business community that the assistance is only for SMEs.
He said if the aim of BKSS 7.0 is to help active businesses affected by the pandemic, the party feels the special aid should not be exclusively for SMEs but also include micro businesses.
“SUPP has communicated our stand to the state Economic Planning Unit in appealing for this group to be included in BKSS 7.0,” he added.
SME Corp Malaysia defines micro enterprises as companies with sales turnover of less than RM300,000 or with fewer than five full-time employees. ― Borneo Post
