Ministry urged to relook ordinance
KUCHING: The Ministry of Local Government and Housing has been urged to revisit the Local Authorities (Licence of Trade, Business and Industries) By-Laws ordinance to enable home-based entrepreneurs to get their business licences.
Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said the ordinance, which existed since 1963, must be relooked as under it, entrepreneurs were not allowed to operate business from their home.
“This ordinance needs to be revisited as nowadays, many traders are conducting their businesses online and operating from home.
“Due to this, many traders cannot apply for business licences because they are unable to rent premises which require huge capital,” she told a press conference at Wisma Wanita on Monday (June 22).
Fatimah said but during the movement control order (MCO) due to Covid-19, some online entrepreneurs made more money.
“This ordinance needs to be relooked. We are now encouraging the new generation of entrepreneurs to do business online but, at the same time, the ordinance does not allow them to do so,” she said.
She said there was also a misunderstanding in obtaining a business licence.
One of the requirements was that an entrepreneur must have a premises.
“For entrepreneurs who do not have a business premises, they can actually use the addresses of the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) Entrepreneur Guidance and Incubator Centres to register their businesses,” she said.
Fatimah added the Centre of Technical Excellence (Centexs) and Anjung Usahawan under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development Sarawak (Mintred) could also provide business addresses for business registration.
“We also want to change the perception of entrepreneurs who are doing business from home or are involved in online business. It is important to register and get permits for their businesses.
“Why is it important? Because it will be easier for any financial assistance or loan to be approved,” she said.
Meanwhile, Women and Family Department Sarawak (JWKS) director Noriah Ahmad said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari had agreed to convert the JWKS Entrepreneurship Grant to RM2,000 cash for each individual. This was to assist women entrepreneurs affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Before this, the grant was in the form of equipment assistance worth RM5,000 each,” she explained.
Noriah said some 1,000 women entrepreneurs in Sarawak would benefit from the assistance.
“Those who want to apply must be women aged 18 years old and above. After three months of receiving the assistance, applicants must also send in their business reports to JKWS for record purposes,” she said. On August 23, 2019, Abang Johari, in his speech in conjunction with the ‘Voices To Be Heard’ programme organised by JWKS, approved an allocation of RM2 million for the JWKS Entrepreneurship Grant 2020.
