Businesses Affected By Border Closures Report Earnings Plummeting By As Much As 90%
Businesses in the Johor city centre are suffering ever since the border closure due to Covid-19.
There was a time when having a business in the city centre was lucrative as a sizeable Singaporean customer base would crossover to shop and dine, especially on the weekends.
But with the border closures, businesses have to rely on the locals and with the current situation, they aren’t able to make as much money as they would once upon a time.
The famous Bazaar Karat, a night market that sells from clothes to food and other merchandise catering to a wide range of tastes, no longer has the buzz of activity it once had.
Source: Google Images
These businesses thrived on Singapore dollars due to the spending power Singaporeans have.
According to Ghazali Mat, a bundle clothes trader, the business owners aren’t expecting a lot of people during their reopening on July 15 as the border is still closed. He may have to travel all the way to Kota Tinggi night market to trade if business doesn’t pick up.
Source: Google Images
Along Motorsports owner, Tarmizi Abdul Nasir said that his business majorly depends on Singaporeans who come in to do repairs and restoration work.
Source: Google Images
From earning an average of RM2000 daily, Tarmizi now earns RM 200 on a good day.
Among the hardest hit are motor vehicles service centres and car wash outlets. Unlike workshops in the housing areas or outside the city centre, these businesses depend on Singaporeans and those working in Singapore.
Source: Google Images
Most of the workers said that if the situation persists, businesses maybe forced to close some outlets to cut costs.
Even Bandar Baru Uda or more popularly known as BBU is affected by the border closure as Singaporeans used to be the bulk of the shoppers there.
Source: Google Images
Amy Anuar, a hairdresser mentioned that Singaporeans are an important part of professional hairdressers’ clientele as they are able to spend more and leave a sizeable tip for services provided.
Source: Google Images
Business owners are resigned to the fact that their business may never be the same again as long as the border remains closed.
Luahan Wartawan: The pandemic caused a sizeable damage to the economy.
It’s a domino effect as businesses are dependent on the spending power of customers which in this case, is the Singapore Dollar.
As a Singaporean, I miss being able to cross the border to shop, eat and spend time with my friends.
I really pity the small/medium business owners there because it is not cheap to maintain rental in the city centre.
As Singaporeans we find it cheaper to spend there because of the power of our dollar, we cannot expect them to be able to casually spend RM 500 on a single day trip because that is a lot of money for them. It can be used as a weekly expenditure for one household.
Eventually, they have to open the borders because Malaysians make a considerable amount of our workforce too.
And those who are stuck here haven’t seen their families for months.
Let’s pray for better days and that the border will open soon for both work and recreational purposes.
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