Last-minute change: Back to MITI for approval letters for businesses

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The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti) is back in charge as the one-stop coordinator for businesses to get written permission to operate from tomorrow.

Putrajaya has decided at the eleventh hour that any business which wanted to operate during the 14-day “total lockdown” period beginning tomorrow must obtain permission from the International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti).

In a statement, the National Security Council (NSC) said this decision was made during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today.

Yesterday, Putrajaya had mandated that businesses had to seek permission from the respective ministries who acted as regulators.

The NSC said new approval letters will be required for the first phase of the third movement control order (MCO), otherwise known as “total lockdown” from June 1 to June 14.

“New applications for approval for travel for work have to be resubmitted through the Covid-19 Intelligent Management System (CIMS) 3.0 portal coordinated by Miti and involving all ministries that supervise 17 essential services sectors that have been allowed to operate,” it said.

Meanwhile, Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh had pointed out that a day before the lockdown, restaurant operators still did not know who to get permission from.

Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming had suggested that the relevant ministries use Miti’s CIMS 3.0 system to issue permission letters for employees to travel, using the ministries’ respective letterheads.

He said approvals for non-manufacturing sectors can then come from the respective ministries with Miti only being the facilitator.