Image credit: Astro Awani
KUALA LUMPUR: Small-and-medium-size enterprises (SMEs) are lauding the government's move to reopen application for the Prihatin Special Grant (GKP).
Most of the businesses that have benefited during the first round of applications in May are encouraging other SME owners to join the bandwagon.
One of them was the co-founder of Elriana Legacy (M) Sdn Bhd, Dailami Daniel Mat Nor, who was one of the 545,000 beneficiaries of the GKP when the government introduced the scheme in May.
He said the cash assistance had helped his business weather the economic uncertainty brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Since snack food business like mine mostly rely on entertainment and tourism industries, my business was struggling when the pandemic hit our shores.
"So the RM3,000 cash aid gave me a chance to revitalise my business and helped me pull through the tough times," he said.
Dailami said he invested a portion of the grant money to move his business to the digital platform to cover losses incurred during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.
"I spent the grant money for online marketing as I'm currently working towards digitalising my business," he said.
As such, Dailami encouraged more SME owners to fully utilise the return of GKP to transform their businesses into digital platforms.
In announcing the Prihatin Supplementary Initiative Package (Kita Prihatin) today, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the government had agreed to reopen applications for the GKP commencing from Oct 1 to Oct 31.
Taking into account the feedback received, he said, the GKP would also be eligible for micro-traders registered or holding a business licence with the Companies Commission of Malaysia or Local Authorities until Aug 31. Payment is targeted to be made starting Nov 25.
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/09/626693/smes-laud-governments-move-reopen-application-gkp