KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of International Trade & Industry (MITI) has approved only 2,732 of the 9,290 companies that had applied for the resumption of operations during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.
According to MITI, the information was until noon today.
It said the approval rate was 29.41%; 2,794 applications (30.08%) were rejected while 1,885 (20.29%) are on the keep in view (KIV) list and the rest (1,879 or 20.22%) are still being screened.
“Permission to operate must be given to certain companies to ensure that the supply of essentials and critical products will be sufficient for public use throughout the MCO period and will be valid until April 14,” it said in a statement.
Among those approved in the manufacturing sector and production of essentials and critical general goods are: food and beverages; household goods (including hand sanitisers); personal protective equipment (including face masks); pharmaceuticals; packaging and printing materials especially for the food and beverage industry; medical devices and surgery items; and oil and gas.
According to MITI, among the reasons for the rejection is that most of the companies did not comply with the requirements including being in non-essential and critical sectors; submitting incomplete or inaccurate information; and not reducing the workforce by at least 50% as set by the National Security Council.
Companies with approvals need to meet several conditions including limiting employee count to that allowed, conducting daily body temperature checks on them, and providing them with hand sanitation and face masks.
In addition, an approved company also must ensure that its premises are sanitised three times a day, practise social distancing and immediately notify the authorities if an employee is infected with Covid-19.
“MITI has given the list of companies that have been approved to the police and the Ministry of Home Affairs for inspection and monitoring. The failure of the companies to adhere to the rules can cause their approval to be cancelled and rescinded,” it added. – March 27, 2020, Bernama
