35,800 GKP applications approved, payment end of June - Tengku Zafrul

A total of 35,800 applications for the Prihatin Special Grant (GKP) for micro small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been approved, according to the Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz today.

Applicants he said, can check on the status of their application beginning today with payments will be made by the end of June.

The appeal period is still open until June 15 through the Inland Revenue Board's (IRB) official portal, gkp.hasil.gov.my, he said and added that the IRB has received 81,260 applications for GKP.

“IRB has shared with us the reasons for rejection, such as incorrectly completed forms - for example, companies registered as 'private limited/sendirian berhad' were stated as a 'partnership'.

In the appeals portal, appellants may submit the relevant company certificate for IRB's consideration.

"I hope micro business owners will seize this opportunity (to appeal)," he said when sharing the 8th Laksana Report on the Implementation of the Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package (PRIHATIN) here today.

Under the Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) micro-credit scheme, 5,222 applications have been approved worth RM191 million, while under the TEKUN Nasional program, 19,382 application were approved amounting to RM151 million.

On the SME Easy Loan Funds under Bank Negara Malaysia's (BNM) supervision, Zafrul said total financing amounting to RM7.5 billion had been approved as of June 5.

"This will benefit 18,227 SMEs. This amount includes funds from the Special Relief Facility and Agrofood Facility," he said.

On the Wage Subsidy program, the Finance Minister said a total of RM4 billion had been approved up to June 5, 2020 for 293,033 employers benefitting 2.3 million workers.

This represents an increase of RM780 million approved for 100,000 employees, compared to two weeks ago, he said.

Meanwhile, on the Employment Retention Program (ERP) which is managed by the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO), he said RM121 million has been approved for 202,000 employees up to June 2020.

Tengku Zafrul also said the Employees Provident Fund's (EPF) COVID-19 Assistance Program (e-CAP) for Employers had received 29,601 applications up to June 2020 with 6,500 applications were approved, representing RM42.9 million in terms of employer’s contribution, compared to RM34.8 million recorded one week ago.

-- BERNAMA