KUCHING, April 10: The state government will waive the rental of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the retail sector operating at premises owned by government-linked companies (GLCs).
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said the measure was to assist these SMEs to overcome working capital and cash flow issues due to the loss of business arising from the movement control order (MCO).
The latest assistance was in addition to a discount of 50 per cent for rental of markets and stalls under the local authorities that was announced on March 23.
“I would like to thank state GLCs such as Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), Land Custody Development Authority (LCDA) and Bintulu Development Authority (BDA), which agreed to give waivers on their premises to SME tenants for a period of six months until September 2020.
“On the same principle of burden sharing, I would also like to encourage owners of private premises throughout Sarawak, for example the Spring, Vivacity, Plaza Merdeka, Aeon Mall, Star Megamall, Delta Mall, Boulevard, Imperial, Majma Mall, Bintang Plaza and others to provide similar assistance to their tenants,” he told a press conference at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here.
Abang Johari encouraged the private premises to reduce their rental rates for their tenants considering that the state government has given them 25 per cent discounts on their assessments rates, as well as 15 per cent utility bills discounts on their commercial premises.
The chief minister was announcing a special financial aid called Sarawakku Sayang Assistance Package 2.0 to assist local businesses such as small, medium and micro enterprises, as well as hawkers and petty traders to overcome the loss of business as a result of MCO.
The whole package of the Sarawakku Sayang Assistance Package 2.0 is RM1.1 billion.
Abang Johari, who is also Sarawak Finance Minister, believed that the injection of funds to the SME will help to boost the state’s economy and domestic businesses. — DayakDaily
