PARIT BUNTAR, July 7 (Bernama) -- Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) traders affected by the sugar tax on sweetened drinks which came into effect this month, can file a postponement appeal to the relevant authorities.Deputy Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Hatta Md Ramli, however, said that every appeal must provide reasonable grounds for proper consideration.“The implementation of the sugar tax has caused traders to suspend their businesses as they claim the tax is too high.“I hope the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPNDHEP) will resolve the issue when it receives the appeals from the traders,” he told a press conference after officiating the 2019 Entrepreneurship Seminar and Dialogue organised by the Ketian District Malay Hawkers and Petty Traders Association (PPKM) here today.

He was commenting on complaints by SME traders on the implementation of the sugar tax of 40 sen per litre (on sweetened beverages containing more than five grammes of sugar) which came into effect on July 1.Mohd Hatta added that the implementation of the tax was aimed at controlling excess sugar intake among the public for health reasons.Meanwhile, Mohd Hatta proposed for the National Entrepreneur Group Economic Fund (Tekun Nasional) to take the initiative to expand its loan method based on the Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) loan model that had been in place since 2015.He said the method involved group loans with five participants in each group which could impact positive loan repayments.Through this method, the process of loan application approvals can be reduced to help entrepreneurs get loans easily, in addition to getting back the loan repayments easily.

-- BERNAMA