KUCHING, Oct 14: Nearly 30 per cent of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Sarawak which are eligible for financial aid under Bantuan Khas Sarawakku Sayang (BKSS) 7.0 did not reveal bank details.
In pointing this out, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said some of the eligible recipients had also informed the relevant agency that they do not wish to deposit this financial assistance into their registered account with Social Security Organisation (Socso).
“To-date, only 25 per cent of the eligible SMEs has submitted their documents through Sarawak Online Portal, and out of the 25 per cent, 16 per cent of the SMEs had fully complied with the documentation.
“As such, I sincerely urge the companies to provide the required documents to facilitate the payment without further delay,” he said during the Symbolic Presentation of BKSS 7.0 and BKSS 7.0 Plus Assistance event today.
He noted the government acknowledged that although the eligible companies are not required to apply, but for the sake of good governance and integrity, some details need to be confirmed by the companies before the payment can be disbursed.
“For example, to prove that the businesses are Sarawakian-owned companies, they are required to provide relevant supporting documents as evidence.
“In addition, bank details are required to ensure that the assistance could be disbursed into the designated company’s bank account,” he explained.
Abang Johari also pointed out that the process requires time and therefore there is delay in the disbursement of the first tranche of the payment which was scheduled for Sept 2021.
“The confirmation process is now progressing well and all payments to the eligible small and medium enterprises will be completed by December 2021,” he said.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari said the special one-off financial assistance of RM10,000 for active SMEs in Sarawak registered with Socso by Dec 31, 2020, is extended to SMEs registered as of March 31, 2021.
“This financial assistance is expected to benefit 470 active business entities, which will cost the Sarawak government direct expenditure amounting to RM4.7 million,” he added. — DayakDaily
