The Malaysian city of Putrajaya has defended its Small Retailer Transformation Programme (Tukar) even though some business owners who joined the scheme have lost thousands of ringgit.
Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism, Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin, said the failure of some retailers under the programme was due to other factors, such as the way they ran their businesses and how they dealt with customers.
Tukar, introduced in 2011, is aimed at modernising and enhancing the competitiveness of traditional retail stores. A loan, plus supervision or advisory services from the ministry, is supposed to turn such stores into modern retail businesses.
(Source: The Malaysian Insider)