KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) has the role of implementing interventions and acts as a problem-solving body on issues related to regulatory burdens.
This role is borne by the MalaysiaMudah or #MyMudah initiative, one of the government's efforts to help the business and economic recovery affected by the COVID-19 outbreak through a non-fiscal approach.
MPC director-general Datuk Abdul Latif Haji Abu Seman said the initiative was entrusted to MPC and PEMUDAH (Special Task Force on Business Facilitation) through the National Economic Action Council (EAC) Meeting on July 20, 2020.
"The #MyMudah initiative was introduced to help companies and businesses from being burdened by unnecessary regulations and bureaucracy and reduce the cost of doing business as well as stimulate the creation of employment opportunities and economic growth.
"Therefore, it provides benefits in terms of reducing the cost of compliance with the targeted regulations amounting to RM10 billion a year.
"This initiative can also provide benefits in terms of time management, better spending management, and a more conducive business environment for economic growth," he told Berita Harian.
Abdul Latif explained that companies and business owners who face difficulties in doing business due to unnecessary regulations and bureaucracy can voice it through the Online Public Consultation Portal or Unified Public Consultation (UPC).
"Issues received through UPC will be analysed by MPC, and then suggestions for improvement to address the regulatory burden will be made. Proposals for this improvement will then be escalated to the regulator for implementation.
"PEMUDAH through MPC will monitor the implementation by each ministry and state government, and will report regularly to the EAC," he said.
A total of 65 Virtual Roundtable Discussion Sessions throughout the country involving 722 representatives of associations and company owners have been implemented with the aim of identifying regulatory problems faced in conducting business operations.
"This is one of the methods or approaches that we have implemented. In addition, a total of 47 companies participated in online advisory clinics to verify issues received through the UPC portal.
"We also held five webinar sessions involving about 1,030 participants to discuss industries' concerns on regulatory burdens featuring association representatives, industry players as well as regulators," he said.
According to Abdul Latiff, among the issues that were successfully resolved was to expedite the issuance of 'release letter' by technical agencies. The letter was for the application of the Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC) of buildings and business premises based on the concept of 'Silence Implies Consent' after a period of 28 days.
Apart from that, through the #MyMudah initiative, it also resolved issues related to the renewal of travel operating business and travel agency business (TOBTAB) license, allowing for the relaxation of existing requirements for licensed tour operator companies under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC). This initiative has helped reduce the burden borne by tourism industry activists affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abdul Latif said he hoped #MyMudah would be able to revive business affairs in the country, including reducing the burden of regulation while ensuring a more conducive business environment.
"Besides that, this initiative hopes to help businesses continue operations by reducing compliance costs, increasing productivity and competitiveness of the country as well as helping to accelerate the country's economic recovery process," he said.
Meanwhile, EAC executive director, Tan Sri Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali, said #MyMudah has facilitated and succeeded in helping businesses to remain sustainable in the face of COVID-19.
Noor Azlan continued by saying that the government is committed to minimise the negative impact of the pandemic on the economy. Their assistance comes in the form of helping businesses burdened by regulations that are no longer suitable for use at the moment, to be abolished or given temporary exemptions through #MyMudah.
He said it was an encouraging sign when more than 350 businesses came forward to get assistance through #MyMudah.
In fact, Noor Azlan said, a total of 58 recommendations obtained through innovation cooperation between businesses and regulators were used as a basis in facilitating, thus not burdening the business sector.
"As far as we know, the COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the global economy.
"Therefore, for this period where businesses want to operate again, it is very important for them to optimise productivity so that the business remains sustainable.
"However, some 'obstacles' of regulations and procedures deemed unnecessary were detected, and they risk further slowing down the recovery and growth process in those aspects," Nor Azlan added.
Through this programme, policymakers and regulators are recommended to either repeal, review or relax certain regulations temporarily or permanently if they are found to be burdensome to businesses and inhibit economic growth.
"They will play an important role in providing support and advisory services as well as acting as intermediaries to solve problems related to regulatory burdens.
"I hope more regulatory issues can be resolved under the #MyMudah initiative which will facilitate businesses, especially among local industries, and encourage economic growth as well as increase job opportunities," Noor Azlan concluded.