KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 — The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) expects at least 500,000 frontliners in the retail sector to join the Retail Industry Vaccination Programme (RiVAC) soon.
Its Minister, Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, said these frontliners included cashiers, sales personnel, restaurant crew, petrol station workers, supermarket staff, departmental store employees, barbers and beauticians, shopping complex management staff, and those in the distribution chain.
“The ministry is committed to ensuring the retail sector is revived and fully opened as soon as possible and this goal can only be met if the administration of vaccines could be implemented fully through RiVAC.
“To date, there are 1,823 companies that have registered with the ministry for the programme,” he said in his special address at the Malaysian Economic Summit 2021 webinar today.
RiVAC is a public-private partnership between KPDNHEP and retail industry players, including the Malaysian Shopping Malls Association, which aims to ensure shopping service continuity and a safe consumer experience during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Nanta reassured that the KPDNHEP and its agencies would continue to facilitate the business ecosystem, regardless of whether it is business registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia, development of domestic trade, consumer protection, intellectual property protection with the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia, or the enforcement of competition law by the Malaysia Competition Commission.
“KPDNHEP will continue working hard and improve where we need to, in order to facilitate domestic trade and to prioritise the ease of doing business.
“We will continue to do this through the existing programmes and new initiatives in line with KPDNHEP’s Strategic Plan 2021-2025,” he said.
