School canteen guild wants rental exemption, food aid rates increased

 

The Association of School Canteen Operators (PPKSM) has called on the government for another six-month exemption of rental payments.

It also wants allocations for the Rancangan Makanan Tambahan (RMT) programme to be increased.

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.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, PPKSM president Hamzah Omar said his members could barely afford to restart operations, let alone pay rent.

“Although we are happy about being able to reopen, operators are stumped because they are out of capital to restart their business.

“Borrow money? Well, they have yet to pay off loans from before.

“As we think about how to get capital to restart our business, schools are now asking for January’s rent to be paid before Jan 7. They say we can’t delay this payment or else it will be in violation of audit rules,” he lamented, calling the audit rules “very rigid”.

Elaborating, Hamzah said school canteen operators could not afford to pay some RM4,000 in rent every month.

“When business was running smoothly, we never missed out on rental payments. But in the current situation, we can’t afford to pay RM3,000 to RM4,000 (in rent) every month.

A school canteen that was forced to close during the pandemic. 

“PPKSM has asked (the government) for a further six-month exemption from rental payments but there is still no answer,” he said.

More food programme subsidies

PPKSM also urged Putrajaya to allocate more money for RMT, or the supplementary food programme.

RMT’s aim is to provide food and thus nutrition to primary school students from lower-income and rural backgrounds.

At present, the government subsidises RM2.50 per day for 190 days for students in Peninsula Malaysia and RM3.00 per day for 190 days for those in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.

Hamzah said operators could not work with these rates.

“PPKSM is asking for the RMT rates to be increased. An RM2.50 subsidy for chicken rice and a Milo drink is very burdensome.

“PPKSM wants this to be raised to RM4.00 but this allocation was not increased.

“Instead, school canteen operators were allocated RM1.50 to buy milk under RMT. In the past, this milk was priced at RM1.45 and sold at RM1.50. Operators made a five sen profit which could not even cover costs.

“And we could only claim our profits a month later. The money that should have been revolving capital was frozen for a month,” he lamented.  - Mkini