KOTA BHARU,Mar 15: A working paper on assisting the tourism sector still adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic should be prepared and presented to the Economic Action Council, economics minister Mustapa Mohamed said.
He said the services sectors, manufacturing, agriculture and construction had resumed operations and were showing signs of recovery, but tourism operators were still much affected by the pandemic.
“We’ve heard many times the issues beleaguering the tourism sector which were raised by the tourism minister, and also at Cabinet meetings.
“The time has come for a working paper on the matter be prepared, led by the tourism minister and to be presented to the EAC so that we can hear the latest on the tourism sector,” he said at a news conference after chairing a meeting with Kelantan hotel and bus operators yesterday.
Mustapa said he represented the federal government for the EAC secretariat to obtain feedback on problems faced by tourism operators in Kelantan while the country was preparing for the economic recovery phase.
“Some are long-known issues like the request for a moratorium specifically for the tourism sector while some are new issues like asking for special consideration be given in the vaccination programme, to what are regarded as frontliners in the tourism sector,” he added.
Mustapa said all suggestions received at the meeting would be brought to the EAC.
