KUALA LUMPUR: The government has approved 7,424 applications involving a total loan value of RM1.39 billion under the National Economic Recovery Plan’s (PENJANA) Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Financing programme as of April 16, 2021. 

Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the total allocation of RM2 billion under the scheme prioritised SMEs that had not received loans from banks previously.

As for the PENJANA Micro Credit Financing under Bank Simpanan Nasional, he said the amount channelled was RM421.1 million as of April 16, benefitting 12,662 micro SMEs including those in the retail and services sectors.

The minister said this when presenting the 51st Implementation and Coordination Unit Between National Agencies (LAKSANA) report today.

 On the RM1 billion PENJANA Tourism Sector Financing to help SMEs and micro SMEs affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Tengku Zafrul said 644 applications had been received as of April 16.

“Of these, 321 applications have been approved, involving total financing of RM63.9 million,” he said.

Regarding the technical and digitalisation utilisation support for SMEs and mid-tier companies (MTCs), the minister said RM65.3 million had been given out to 13,864 businesses in the form of grants and loans for subscription to digitalisation services as of April 16.

As for the Wage Subsidy Programme 2.0 under the Prihatin Supplementary Initiative Package (KITA PRIHATIN), he said a total of RM1.15 billion had been distributed to 73,210 employers as of the same date to enable them to continue to operate and retain jobs for 631,801 employees.

Meanwhile, a total of 132,403 employees had secured jobs under the Hiring Incentive and Training Programme as at that date, with manufacturing and wholesale and retail trade being among the main industries or sectors taking in workers, he said.

On the frontliners allowance, Tengku Zafrul said that as of April 16, a total of RM656.57 million had been paid out based on the 1.88 million claims received compared with RM647.33 million based on 1.82 million claims as of the previous week.

The frontline workers include physicians, nurses and other medical personnel directly involved in the management and containment of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The special allowance is also extended to members of the army, police, customs, immigration, fire department, the Civil Defence Force and the People’s Volunteer Corps (RELA) who are directly involved in implementing the Movement Control Order.

As for the initiative under the Cultural Economy Development Agency (CENDANA), he said a total of RM3.01 million had been channelled to 469 recipients compared to RM2.43 million for 441 recipients as of the week before.

The recipients consist of artists, collectives and organisations that are actively involved in the Malaysian arts and culture sector.

Tengku Zafrul again urged creative industry players to take advantage of the facilities provided in producing their works.

-- BERNAMA