On 19 April, Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population announced that factories are required to go through mandatory government inspections between 20 April to 30 April before businesses can resume.
MEASURES
- Factory Inspections are carried out by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population, Ministry of Health and Sports and other relevant groups. Businesses are only allowed to continue with operations after passing the ministries’ requirements.
- Factories that manufacture pharmaceuticals and food, as well as facilities with a workforce of more than 1,000 will be prioritised in the inspections.
- On 22 April, the Ministry of Commerce announced that the country will buy and stockpile 50,000 tonnes of rice and 12,000 tonnes of palm oil as reserves for emergencies
IMPACT ON FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN
- The sudden announcement came as a surprise to businesses as businesses were expecting to resume work on 20 April
- The further delay to the reopening of businesses add to the financial constraints that businesses are facing