ALOR SETAR, Aug 26 — Some 9,502 Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) traders in Kedah were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the State Legislative Assembly was told today.

Kedah Youth and Sports, Tourism, Arts and Culture, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Committee chairman Mohd Firdaus Ahmad said the state government had implemented several initiatives to assist the traders, including the implementation of the six-month Kedah Micro Credit Loan Scheme repayment moratorium to 20 eligible entrepreneurs.

"Besides that, the implementation of the Post-Covid-19 Micro Credit Loan Scheme and a total of 130 new applications have been received and are being processed,” he said when replying to a question from Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir (Independent-Jitra).

Mohd Firdaus said the state government also provided the Teraju Fund Grant initiative worth RM3,000 to 27 eligible entrepreneurs involving financial implications of RM81,000.

He said the tenants of the premises owned by local authorities were also given a reduction of up to 50 per cent in the rental rate of retail space in all districts. There is also an exemption for late payment penalties during the PKP (movement control order) period.

"The three-month rental payment exemption is also given to the tenants of PKNK (Kedah State Development Corporation) premises including Halal Park, Ukir Mall, Central Square shop lot, Bukit Kayu Hitam industrial lot and others,” he said. — Bernama