Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Indian Association has called on the government to introduce policies gradually and provide support to small businesses, including gas subsidies and e-invoicing assistance, to ease the burden of recent regulatory changes.
The association, representing small business owners’ particularly family-run restaurants said sudden hikes in cooking gas prices, mandatory e-invoicing and stricter labour rules are straining operations, forcing many to consider price increases or even closure.
“While supporting fair wages, the abrupt hikes in minimum wage, reduced working hours and higher holiday pay have inflated costs for small eateries operating on thin margins,” said Sabah Indian Association President Didar Singh, in a statement, here, recently.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});“Many small businesses lack digital resources, making compliance costly and difficult without financial aid or training,” he said. A near-doubling in gas prices has hit restaurants hard, as they rely on it daily, with no room to absorb the extra costs.
“Combined, these changes could lead to higher consumer prices, job losses and business closures, disproportionately affecting Sabah’s Indian community, which contributes significantly to the state’s food sector,” he added.
The association appeal to the government for phase in policies with transition periods, to be provided gas subsidies and e-invoicing support for small businesses and for a review on labour laws after consulting stakeholders.
“We hope for dialogue to ensure policies are fair and sustainable. Our small businesses are the backbone of the economy, their survival must be a priority,” he said.
He said without intervention, Sabah’s vibrant food culture and local livelihoods could be at risk.
