Govt needs to prioritise pragmatic support over policy U-turns and retrospective fixes for MSMEs

The government's decision to raise the mandatory e-invoicing exemption threshold from RM1mil to RM3mil in annual turnover is a long-awaited relief that spares over 1.1 million micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from immediate operational burdens amidst rising wages, utilities, and raw material costs.

However, this adjustment raises a fundamental question: why are small businesses repeatedly treated as a testing ground for policies that are only refined after widespread industry distress? Every compliance shift imposes real costs, particularly on traders without dedicated IT teams.