By Doreenn Leong
IT was disappointing that the official website of the International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) crashed temporarily on April 13. This was the first day of applications for certain businesses to operate during the third phase of the movement control order (MCO).
Miti said the portal was temporarily inaccessible as more than 100,000 companies have applied at that time.
This should never have happened. Many businesses already facing severe financial constraints are hoping to be given the green light to resume their operations during the MCO period which has been extended for another two weeks until April 28.
The ministry should have anticipated that there will be a surge in traffic volume and upgraded its systems accordingly.
Certainly, being fully prepared to accommodate high traffic to its website is not something unachievable. Just look at the Employees Provident Fund (EPF). It saw a total of 1.4 million applications for i-Lestari (Account 2) withdrawal.
There were a high number of applications which resulted in the EPF’s i-Akaun portal averaging 60,000 to 70,000 requests per minute, a 15-fold increase from the usual 4,000-7,000 web requests per minute on a typical day. Despite the much higher volume, it didn’t experience any crash.
The EPF has also recorded an average of 20,000 daily emails enquiring about the facility. So far, more than 700,000 applications have been approved with payments to be credited from May 4.
Only recently EPF made it easier for its members to apply and check on their application status via the newly launched, hassle-free i-Lestari online facility.
Miti surely can learn a thing or two from EPF in dealing with online applications.
In any case, why all the red tape for businesses to operate? The ministry just needs to set the guidelines and fine them if they flout them.
According to Miti, it takes up to five days to process business operation applications during the MCO.
If an application is successful, a letter of approval would be auto-generated by the Covid-19 Intelligent Management System (CIMS) 2.0.
Miti warned that if a company approved to operate during the MCO period is found to have violated operating conditions, it would be seen as a criminal offence under Regulation 7 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures Within the Local Area of Infection) 2020.
For companies that intended to increase the workforce capacity although they had obtained Miti’s approval to operate during phases one and two of the MCO, the ministry said they are required to reapply for additional capacity in CIMS 2.0.
For those whose applications are rejected, Miti said appeals can be made at CIMS 2.0 and companies could also check the status of their applications.
For those seeking to resume their businesses, they are already losing up to five days just waiting for the fate of their application. And if unsuccessful, they can try again but they will lose precious time for the status of their appeal.
At the rate this is going, the MCO would probably have been lifted already when most businesses would be able to operate by then.
If the ministry is serious about allowing some businesses to resume their operations during the extended MCO period, it should have cut the bureaucracy and devised a system to achieve its objective. – April 15, 2020
