The Education Ministry is ordering schools to postpone canteen rental collections while considering an extension of rental exemptions for this year.
“The Education Ministry, alongside relevant agencies, is currently considering the proposed extension of school canteen rental exemptions for 2022.
“As such, the relevant parties are requested to inform all school administrators under the department’s supervision to postpone the canteen rental collection for January and February 2022 until further notice,” said the ministry in a circular letter dated yesterday (Jan 5).
This comes after the School Canteen Operators Association (PPKSM) called on the government for another six-month exemption of rental payments yesterday.
It contended that school canteen operators needed the assistance as they had suffered a severe loss of income over the past two years when schools were mostly closed.
In response to this, Simpang Renggam MP Maszlee Malik urged the government to provide a special grant to school canteen operators and workers as they are struggling economically amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The former education minister said school closures over the past two years and the low school attendance when they reopened have significantly impacted school canteen operators.
They are also making losses due to the stringent standard operating procedures (SOPs) which require the operators to hire extra employees to deliver the food to the students in class, among others.
All of this increases operating costs as the operators need to pay more for the extra workers and food containers. - Mkini
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