By Ling Hui
KUCHING, July 3: Owners of a hawker stall in Padungan expressed their gratitude to Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Youth Central Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Bureau Chief Eric Tay Tze Kok and team for aiding them in applying for the Bantuan Khas Sarawakku Sayang (BKSS) grant.
Tay and his team had helped the stall owners to submit their application to Kuching South City Council (MBKS) and in a few weeks’ time, the BKSS grant to the owners was approved.
Tay, in his statement today, lauded the compassion and concern shown by Sarawak government to the local hawkers and petty traders amid the dilemma of Covid-19 pandemic by introducing various subsidies and policies like the BKSS.
According to the report to date, a total of 35,667 hawkers and petty traders have been successfully registered as recipients of the grant.
Among them, 15,667 are qualified license holders while the rest who were unlicensed applicants were issued temporary hawker license through the local government.
Each qualified applicant will be issued RM2,250 through transaction in Sarawak Pay app or counter collection from Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN).
“This initiative from the state government has undoubtedly reduced the economic pressure on the hawkers.
“As the epidemic has hit the national economy and affected people’s lives in all domains, the subsidies and policies introduced by the federal and Sarawak governments, however, can only solve short-term difficulties,” said Tay.
In stating this, he opined that the recovery of the national economy can only be achieved in a stable political situation and with a government that is really concerned with the well-being and interests of the people. —DayakDaily
