The Malaysian Retail Chain Association called on the authorities to allow some retail sectors to resume operations

As the vaccination rate of the new coronavirus in Malaysia continues to increase, the Malaysian Retail Chain Association ( MRCA) called on the Malaysian government to allow all retail sectors to reopen immediately. At the same time, it requires open businesses to strictly abide by standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure the production capacity and sustainable development of the business.

In a statement issued on Thursday , the Malaysian Retail Chain Association ( MRCA) said: “Due to the efforts of the Malaysian government authorities and the ongoing implementation of the national immunisation programme, the vaccination rate in Malaysia has now reached the stage where businesses can reopen.”

Meanwhile, MRCA added in the announcement that “there is irreversible damage to all retail sectors. The extent of damage to the supply chain will continue to increase if the closure of non-essential sectors is further extended during the first phase and EMCO lockdown. Many retailers are on the brink of collapse as they are unable to generate any income to pay their mounting monthly liabilities such as rent, wages and debts, and are at risk of being taken to court by creditors. Most retailers are surviving solely on their own savings and loans while minimizing production costs.”

And if these businesses don’t have a steady monthly income for a long time, the savings will eventually be depleted. As it stands now, many business owners are already in the red with their cash flow.

MRCA said in the report, “With the increasing vaccination rate and strict compliance of businesses with SOPs, retailers should not be overly restricted due to strict business restrictions. Given that about 68% of Malaysia’s adult population has received the first dose of the vaccine and 55.8% of people in the Klang Valley have completed two doses of vaccination. We believe that the government can consider an opportunity to reopen production trading activities for those who have been fully vaccinated.”

The retail sector contributed 34.6 % of Malaysia's GDP in 2018. MRCA hopes the government will provide more legal and financial support to the retail sector to protect retail businesses from premature closure. MRCA said that due to the long-term shutdown , the government's previous financial support is no longer sufficient to keep businesses running .

Malaysia

Retail

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