KUCHING: The state’s business community supports the National Recovery Council’s (NRC) suggestion that the country’s borders should be reopened but says it should be done in stages.
Sarawak Business Federation (SBF) Datuk Jonathan Chai Voon Tok agreed with the move to set a timeline for the reopening of the borders to restore economic activities.
“This is because the prevailing policy will hamper the progress of our economic recovery if we continue to keep our borders shut.
“Of course, we don’t expect the government to reopen the borders at once without any conditions or restrictions, but we could do so in stages,” he said, when contacted on Friday (Feb 4).
Lau mentioned the recent announcement by the New Zealand government on the reopening of its borders in five stages, with vaccinated citizens from neighbouring Australia the first to be allowed back into the island country later this month.
“Since the emergence of the COVID-19 Delta variant, New Zealand has switched from a COVID-19 elimination strategy to pushing for higher vaccination rates and treating the virus as endemic. Such a move is very similar to that of our country.
“As such, it’s high time for us to emulate or adopt the approach taken by New Zealand,” he said.
Lau stressed that controlled reopening of the borders could balance the inflow of travellers for the tourism sector and resolve the workforce shortages in the plantation and manufacturing industries.
NRC chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin recently said that the council had recommended the reopening of the borders in stages starting last month; however, there was no action.
Meanwhile, Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) treasurer-general Bell Bernard Aggan agreed with Muhyiddin that the government should provide a timeframe for the borders to reopen.
“This is important for the business community to enable them to plan their marketing strategies for the short, medium and long terms,” he said, adding that as long as the people had achieved the full vaccination target, the government could consider reopening the borders in stages.
“Reopening the borders will definitely allow our small- and medium-enterprises (SMEs) to restart their business, create job opportunities and help reduce the poverty rate.
“At the end of the day what is more important is that everyone can put food on the table,” he said.
