KUALA LUMPUR: The reappointment to lead the same portfolio has to some extent given continuity to the policies that have been carried out over the past 18 months, said Finance Minister, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

According to him, the reappointment has enabled him and his team at the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to focus on helping the people as well as traders who were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"So, that continuity is important in terms of policy, implementation, monitoring and results.

"We (MoF) are still making a weekly report (LAKSANA report) to give the people an idea on the outcome or delivery in terms of the initiatives we have announced," he said during the programme RTM Inclusive: 100 Days Facing the Challenges of Empowering #Keluarga Malaysia yesterday.

In reply to a question on efforts to strengthen fundamental policies to the people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Tengku Zafrul said the MoF used the method of engaging interaction with traders, associations and stakeholders to find out the main problems faced by these groups.

"If we observe, the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) is the most affected group.

"That is why, we continue the initiative or special grant assistance where a payment allocation of approximately RM6.08 billion was given to one million MSMEs," he said.

He added that one of the main challenges faced by MSMEs, especially in the affected sectors such as the retail and tourism sectors, is working capital.

"We have already provided assistance in terms of funding, moratoriums and so on. However, if they need more assistance, we at MoF are refining ways to focus more on business groups in Budget 2022," he said.

According to Tengku Zafrul, a pre-budget statement and public consultation stage, in an effort to improve the annual budget preparation process, have helped the government get input and feedback in several areas.

"Many Malaysians, companies and associations have given good feedback and there are a lot that we will use in Budget 2022," he said.

-- BERNAMA