MELAKA: Industry players in the state here expressed hopes that the 2018 Budget will pay close attention to the needs and wants of those in the private sector other than civil servants.
Malacca Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Tan Poh Seng, who spoke on behalf of more than 1,000 members from various sectors here, said that the 2018 Budget should enhance the role of the private sector as the engine of economic development in the country.
"The Prime Minister has announced that civil servants will benefit from the budget. But I hope that the Prime Minister will also take care of us by providing more business and employment opportunities for the locals here," he told the New Straits Times today.
He said the government can introduce incentives which would encourage the use of domestic talents and local technologies in foreign investment projects to improve the well-being of those in the private sector.
The state’s Malaysia Budget Hotel Association (MyBHA) chairman Goh Hock Gin meanwhile called on the Federal Government to provide incentives and tax exemptions to budget hotel operators here.
"We hope that tourism taxes for budget hotels can be eliminated or reduced to a reasonable amount due to lower room rates, and tax incentives, such as pioneer status and investment tax allowance, will continue for budget hotels.
"We also hope that the Federal Government can consider re-instating industry building allowance for hotels which are not operated by owners," he said.
Full-time trishaw rider Eddy Shahrizal Abd Karim wished for the Federal Government to intervene in issues faced by trishaw riders here due to stiff competition resulting from an oversupply of trishaw riders.
"I hope for a stricter issuance of licences for newcomers as we have more than 400 riders now, compared to only 300 previously.
"I am the sole-breadwinner of my family. I have to support my wife and three children and I am dependent on riding a trishaw as my only source of income.
"I hope more incentives can be given to trishaw riders here as we only received RM100 as incentive for Hari Raya," he said.
