Local businesses seek further govt financial assistance
KUCHING: The local business community has expressed the hope that the Sarawak government will roll out further financial assistance and relief soon amid the challenging operating environment.
Kenny Sia, founder of homegrown fitness chain Level Up Fitness, is hoping that the government would provide wage subsidy, rental discounts incentives and interest free loan moratorium in its next assistance package.
“I don’t think it’s asking much when what I asked was what was provided by the federal government during Movement Control Order (MCO) 1.0.
All we are basically asking is for the state government to be responsible when they make businesses close.”
Sia said he and his peers had already implemented strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) which had been effective in preventing Covid-19 outbreaks in their premises since the start of the pandemic.
He appealed for the state government to engage with industry players to come to a middle ground.
“We are reasonable business owners who can accept a compromise. We wrote at least four letters to state Ministry of Local Government and Housing since April 21 and all I got was a: ‘We’ll call you later,” said Sia told thesundaypost.
He lamented he did not even secure a Zoom meeting with the relevant authorities regarding their plight.
Johnny Bong, who operates reflexology centres at Premier 101 food centre and Saradise business centre, shared the same hope for rental subsidies, staff allowance, loan moratorium and government grant or loan assistance in the next Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance (BKSS) package.
“Some of the main challenges we face include having to bear heavy cost every time we want to reopen our business, such as Covid-19 swab test for all employees, and no discount or mercy on rental payments from landlord,” he said.
Bong added there was no financial support from any bank or government grant, except for the relief under wage subsidy programme 1.0 while they still have to deal with payments for council license and staff working permit.
There was insufficient cash flow to support all workers and cost of living while sales during the reopening was not enough to cover the losses and expenses incurred.
Kapitan Stanley Hu, director of Lok Thian Restaurant pointed out that the three main cost factors for restaurant operators were worker salaries, utilities bills and rental payment.
“As dine-in service is not allowed right now, we hope the government could subsidise our workers’ salaries by introducing the state version of the wage subsidy programme. We have already made our requests to the state government,” said Hu.
He revealed that his restaurant business had dropped over 80 per cent with the latest directive in banning dine-in service.
“If dine-in service is allowed, our business level would be at about 50 per cent compared with the pre-pandemic period,” said Hu, explaining they had been engaging with the government concerning the predicament facing the restaurant industry.