A reopening of the economy, however, will not help companies that have downsized, or worse, shuttered their operations. Under Pemulih, the central bank had increased its loan capacity twice, to RM27.1 billion from RM9.1 billion, with RM8.6 billion still available as at end-June. In 2H2021, it is estimated that an SME operator can obtain up to RM11,700 in cash aid and another RM31,000 in cash flow relief through moratoriums and discounts — for a total of more than RM40,000 in assistance. All these do not include new loans, which are readily available from banks and other business support institutions. As vaccination is ramped up, the hospitalisation rate is expected to decrease, which will improve our public healthcare’s capacity to respond.

Source: The Edge Markets August 08, 2021 15:56 UTC