Kerajaan digesa beralih kepada bantuan berasaskan hasil untuk PKS

Persatuan Perusahaan Kecil dan Sederhana (PKS) Malaysia is urging the government to shift support towards result-based funding for the sector in the 2027 Budget, rather than merely announcing large-scale grants. PKS President Chin Chee Seong emphasized that support should generate measurable improvements in productivity, investment, growth, and competitiveness.

His concerns extend beyond the mere existence of the assistance, focusing on whether it reaches PKS and if it yields tangible improvements in productivity, investment, growth, and competitiveness. The 2027 Budget should provide targeted financial assistance based on company growth aspects, including daily cash flow, factory output, artificial intelligence, green practices, and expansion into foreign markets.

The success of such assistance initiatives must ultimately be evaluated based on concrete operational results, such as companies automating operations, increasing productivity, exporting goods, or penetrating overseas markets, Chin stated. To strengthen domestic direct investment, Chin suggested the government provide incentives for local businesses to reinvest and expand, alongside encouraging state-linked companies (GLCs), government-linked investment companies (GLICs), and PKS-related institutional investors to invest together.

PKS also warned that domestic businesses now face rising operational costs, including higher labor expenses, utility bills, higher financing costs, expanded sales and services tax (SST) scope, invoicing requirements, permit fees, and compliance costs. To prevent ongoing pressure on business survival, Chin proposed the government conduct a comprehensive impact assessment and cumulative cost analysis of PKS before introducing any new major operating expense basis.

This concern follows the latest PKS survey finding that 61.6% of PKS respondents consider the current business environment worse than 12 months ago, while nearly half reject further increases in minimum wage until productivity improves.