PUTRAJAYA: Twenty initiatives focussing on five areas have been outlined to further strengthen the country s competitiveness where the focus is on attracting investments, boosting external trade and increasing the use of digital technology.
For this purpose, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said to assist small and medium-scale enterprises to obtain loans, Bank Negara had increased the targeted relief and recovery facility with an additional RM2bil and the automated and digitalisation facility by another RM700mil.
Additional funds of RM50mil for smart automation will be available for more mid-tier companies and SMEs to boost their efficiency in operations and manufacturing by putting advanced technology in place.
We welcome the Prime Minister s announcement on this new approach as this is a positive step. He acknowledged that there needed to be a more holistic and scientific approach rather than imposing a total lockdown on an entire state or area. Travel restrictions were the main crunch that industry was facing, its president Datuk Tan Kok Liang said on Wednesday (March 17).
Tan also said the special RM3,000 grant to more than 5,000 tour agencies registered with Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry was a step forward in helping those badly affected by the pandemic. We had asked for a RM10,000 grant when we met the tourism minister recently but RM3,000 was announced instead.