VP Leni to push for P100-B stimulus fund for MSMEs if she becomes president

Vice President Leni Robredo on Saturday said she would push for the passage of a law providing P100 billion stimulus fund to aid micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that were affected by the restrictions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic if she becomes president.

Robredo, during the first round of the Commission on Elections' presidential debates, noted the urgency of such stimulus package considering that MSMEs account for 5.7 million employees.

"My proposal is that a P100 billion stimulus fund should be available to MSMEs. This will constitute cash grants, low interest loans, [fund for] capacity building, helping them digitize operations at matulungan sila magkaroon ng maayos na merkado [and for them to have a stable market]," Robredo said in response to the question on what sector would she prioritize to revive the Philippine economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Robredo said 76,000 MSMEs had to stop operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The biggest market of the MSMEs is the government, kaya dapat may panukalang batas na iyong gobyerno talaga ng pondo para iyong MSMEs ang binibilhan niya," she said.

(There should be a law that would mandate the government to allocate resources for supporting MSMEs.) —KBK, GMA News