The Penang state government has implemented an electricity bill subsidy for the tourism industry in order to keep its players afloat during Movement Control Order (MCO) 3.0.

Yeoh Soon Hin, chairman of the Tourism and Creative Economy Committee, stated that the state government will allocate RM1 million for this one-time assistance package to alleviate the financial burden faced by tourism-related businesses.

“This subsidy will be given to hoteliers, travel agencies, tourist attractions and theme parks,” he said in a statement.

He expressed his hope that the subsidy will assist the tourism sector in surviving this round of MCO, particularly since tourism activities are restricted.

Yeoh stated that the state recognised the industry's challenges and hastened its decision to implement the one-time subsidy within two days of the announcement of MCO 3.0.

"I hope this subsidy will be useful in easing the cash flow of the affected businesses in the tourism industry," he said.

The state government announced several moratoriums for the tourism industry earlier this year, including water bills, quit rent, assessment rates, and business licence fees for the entire year of 2021.

The state government has also made one-time allocations, such as RM1.3 million for registered tourist guides, RM1.4 million for hair salons, spas, and beauty centres, RM31,500 for mobile spas, and RM100,000 for event management companies, through its People's Aid Package.

Details about the electricity subsidy will be released soon on the Penang state government's official website and on Yeoh's social media (@yeohsoonhin).