The Young Entrepreneurs Council says the micro, small and medium enterprises are not receiving any assistance or training to comply with the COVID safe protocols.

President Watisoni Nata says the young entrepreneurs are asking for support as they are now feeling the pinch into the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nata made the comments during MSME Policy Dialogue.

Nata says for a business that employs five or less staff, they approximately spend around $1,670 monthly to purchase masks, hand sanitizers, decontamination, and pay staff who are in isolation.

He says this expenditure is on top of the usual overhead monthly costs while business is slow.

Nata adds that the work bubble is also not working as they cannot control the employees.

The Young Entrepreneurs Council President says the penalties are harsh and the MSMEs need assistance to comply.

“We are on track with penalizing but we would like to equally see measures that need to be introduced to incentivize businesses that are complaint and incentivizing those who need to comply. This is one way we can work together to promote protocol and get more MSME’s in compliance mode”.

Ministry of Trade and Commerce Permanent Secretary Shaheen Ali assured the MSMEs that their COVID safe ambassadors will be going out to educate them rather than penalizing them.