KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) today revealed measures to reduce regulatory burdens on licensed tour operators and help them sustain their businesses amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The regulations which fall under the purview of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), relate to licence renewal applications made between Jan 1, 2020 and Dec 31, 2021, and the addition of fields and branches, which now no longer require the submission of an audited financial report.
“In addition, the approval of licence renewal applications has been standardised to a period of two or three years, along with allowing tour operators to co-share office space for a short period of time to reduce their operating costs,” MPC said in a statement today.
MPC director general Datuk Abdul Latif Abu Seman said the regulatory changes were made in response to stakeholder concerns raised under the #MyMudah initiative.
“The government hopes that these changes will provide licensed tour operators with the flexibility they require to continue to sustain their business through the COVID-19 crisis,” he said.
Meanwhile, Uzaidi Udanis, who champions for Tourism Productivity Nexus (TPN) said the relaxation of regulations would significantly ease pressures faced by licensed tour operators due to huge losses from travel bans and movement restrictions imposed both in Malaysia and other countries throughout the world.
TPN is a public-private partnership established under the Malaysia Productivity Blueprint.
“Previously these regulatory requirements were meant to provide an assessment of a tour operator’s business and operational ability, in order to build consumer trust.
“However, since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, tour operators are now unable to generate sales due to zero-to-low demand, which in turn has affected their assets and driven the need for them to reduce costs such as office leasing,” Uzaidi said.
