Small businesses appeal to Selangor MB for rental relief as pandemic bites

 

Small businesses which have struggled to keep afloat for more than a year under the Covid-19 pandemic are appealing to the Selangor government for a rental relief fund

A group of small business owners met with Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari this morning to make their appeal.

The meeting was coordinated by Klang MP Charles Santiago.

In the memorandum submitted to the Selangor government, they noted that the rental cost for business premises, particularly in urban areas, can go as high as RM30,000.

They propose the setting up of a rental relief fund that would provide a 50 percent subsidy on rentals if a small and medium enterprise’s earnings had declined by at least 30 percent.

The subsidy will be up to RM4,000 a month, capped at six months.

They also requested for rental premises owned by the Selangor government to be waived until December 2021.

Charles said the fund will help provide relief to small businesses trying to stay afloat.

“It is designed to get the state to support rental payment so that small businesses faced with high operating costs and sluggish sales as a result of Covid-19 can still survive.

“The fund can save jobs, businesses and help in the recovery process,” he told Malaysiakini.

Charles said Amirudin is expected to raise the proposal in the exco meeting.

However, he said a decision is only expected after the state government completes an audit of its budget.

The Covid-19 pandemic began in Malaysia in January last year and is unlikely to end soon.

As of April 25, only around 2.34 percent of the population have received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine. - Mkini