PENAMPANG: Sabah businesses are keen to embrace digitalisation as part of the new normal, brought about by the spread of Covid-19.
Assistant State Laws and Native Affairs Minister Janie Lasimbang said during the Movement Control Order, many have utilised the simplest applications to promote and sell their products.
"Many of them joined e-Pasar, WhatsApp groups or promoting their business through Facebook.
"This is a future normal, people do not want to get out so often and opt for more home delivery services," she said, after handing over financial aid to small and medium business owners at Buhavan Square here.
Janie, who is Kapayan assemblyman, said the constituency will also facilitate more business owners to make use of the internet for digitalisation of their operations which includes using cashless transactions.
On June 5, the Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced a 40-initiative Economic Recovery Plan which included encouraging small and medium enterprises to be in the e-dagang platform and digitalise their operations. among others.
"Kapayan has a good potential (doing online business) as its location is near to Kota Kinabalu, Penampang and Putatan.
"That is why we will also be facilitating the constituents in using technology for that purpose," she said.
Meanwhile, Janie said a RM100,000 allocation would be disbursed to allocate about 250 traders in her constituency affected by the MCO.
Each of them will receive RM300 or RM500 each, depending whether they are licenced or not.
"Although the amount is small, we hope that the money can help to generate some income for their family during this trying time.
"Besides that, through this programme, which participants applied online, we have a database which will be our reference in future should there be other assistance."