Latest news with #Low
The Star
13 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Micro businesses group calls for constructive talks over e-commerce fee changes
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Micro Business Association (Mamba) has urged stakeholders to engage in a balanced and constructive dialogue over recent fee structure changes by e-commerce platforms. Mamba secretary-general Alvin Low said the focus should be on strategic cooperation between sellers, platforms, and policymakers to ensure a resilient, competitive digital marketplace. 'We must avoid scare tactics and politicising discussions that directly affect thousands of local traders in Malaysia. 'There needs to be room for discussion—so that everyone, from sellers to shoppers to platforms—can win,' Low said in a statement. He noted that while fee hikes are difficult, larger global dynamics, such as the ongoing US-China trade war and emerging tariffs, are contributing to a surge in low-cost Chinese imports into South-East Asia, including Malaysia. "These cheaper products risk undercutting local businesses if no proactive steps are taken. 'We are already seeing cheap imports entering the market through new and existing e-commerce platforms targeting consumers in Malaysia, undercutting local sellers and threatening their long-term survival,' he warned. Low stressed that maintaining a competitive edge means platforms must continue to reinvest in infrastructure—such as logistics, fraud prevention, AI-powered product recommendations, and customer service—benefiting sellers as well as buyers. 'Good customer experience is not just a buyer issue—it's a seller issue too. When platforms are seen as trustworthy and efficient, sellers gain more visibility and repeat customers,' he added. Citing statistics from GlobalData, Mamba said Malaysia's e-commerce market is projected to reach RM67.1bil by 2028. "To seize this growth, Low said both sellers and platforms must work hand-in-hand to meet rising consumer expectations. While empathising with seller frustrations, Mamba warned against punitive actions or blanket criticisms that could destabilise the ecosystem. 'Calling for authorities to threaten or punish platforms simply for raising fees is counter-productive and risks undermining the very ecosystem we are trying to strengthen,' Low said. Mamba urged the government, seller groups, and platform operators to open channels of dialogue and forge a sustainable path forward—ensuring Malaysia's micro, small and medium businesses remain competitive in the evolving global landscape.
Scoop
16 hours ago
- Health
- Scoop
Step Up For Guide Dogs This Winter: Join The PAWGUST Challenge
This August, Kiwis are lacing up their walking shoes and joining PAWGUST, a nationwide challenge supporting the guide dogs who help New Zealanders live life without limits. Whether you're walking solo or side-by-side with your dog, PAWGUST invites you to step outside every day in August and help raise vital funds for Blind Low Vision NZ Guide Dogs. Participants commit to walking or running a set distance while gathering sponsorship from friends, whānau and local supporters. All funds raised support the breeding, raising, and training of guide dogs. Guide Dogs give people who are blind or have low vision greater freedom and independence. When Michele Jackson from Devonport and her guide dog Sasha signed up for their first PAWGUST last year, Michele saw it as a great opportunity to get fit while supporting an incredible cause. 'I'd love to say I joined purely to raise money, and it's definitely an incredible cause, but I also saw it as a great way to get fit,' says Michele. Michele was born with cataracts, which caused the majority of her vision impairment early in life. At age 13, glaucoma set in and took the remaining sight in her right eye, leaving her with a small amount of tunnel vision in her left. 'Having sponsors kept me motivated,' says Michele. 'Every time I thought about skipping a walk, I remembered the people who had donated, and it got me moving.' With guide dog Sasha by her side, Michele not only reached her 60km target but exceeded it, clocking over 86km by the end of the month. She and her friend also helped rally the community, hosting group walks on Takapuna Beach and turning an initial $2,000 fundraising goal into a last-minute sprint to raise $10,000. Now, Michele is back for another PAWGUST, encouraging others to get involved. She adds, 'Start small. Set an achievable goal and grow it. And don't be afraid to ask people individually for support. That's what worked best for me.' Why PAWGUST Matters Unlike pet dogs, guide dogs work year-round navigating busy footpaths, e-scooters, road signs, and urban hazards to keep their blind or low vision handlers safe. By taking part in PAWGUST, you're not just embracing daily movement, you're supporting a future where every New Zealander who needs a guide dog can have one. 'Every step taken in PAWGUST helps raise the funds we need to train more dogs like Sasha,' says Andrea Midgen, Chief Executive, Blind Low Vision NZ. 'These dogs give our clients freedom, confidence, and companionship.' It's free to join PAWGUST, and you don't need a dog to take part. By gathering sponsors and getting moving, anyone can contribute to the $175,000 it takes to breed, train, and support a working guide dog throughout its career. Unleash Your PAWtential and help create brighter futures with Blind Low Vision NZ.
The Advertiser
17 hours ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Cafes, small businesses fear brunt of surcharge cut
After the morning rush of lattes and flat-whites flying out the door, Alan Low likes to settle in with his own coffee and try to balance his cafe's books. The exercise could become even trickier after the Reserve Bank of Australia proposed to remove surcharges on EFTPOS, Mastercard and Visa card transactions, which could save consumers $1.2 billion a year. But the inner-Sydney cafe owner feels small businesses have been left out of the equation. Every cent counts with a necessary $12,000-$15,000 a year collected through surcharges on the volume of sales Mr Low's cafe does. "There's nothing that is actually cheap for us," he told AAP. "There has to be one way that is actually to help us substitute it out "There's no way for us to absorb the cost anymore ... and the last thing we want is to jack up the prices for customers." Lowering the cap on interchange fees - another RBA recommendation - could save the sector $1.2 billion. The fee is paid by a business to a customer's card issuer when a transaction occurs. But for Mr Low - who rattled off a list of exorbitant expenses ranging from electricity, wages and insurance - the expected changes could have an impact. Small business owners face the same inflationary pressures that have hit consumers in recent years, he said. The cafe's margins have taken a hit as workers come into the city less frequently and residential buildings eat up spaces. The peak hospitality body also slammed the RBA's decision, saying it does not go far enough to help small businesses out. "To put it bluntly, it's a political fix – not a solution," Australian Hotels Association chief executive Stephen Ferguson said. "The RBA policy to ban surcharges just covers up the problem." But RMIT academic Angel Zhong was more upbeat, arguing the changes would overhaul an outdated transaction system and foster competition in payment services. "Small businesses stand to gain significantly from both the surcharge ban and interchange fee caps," she said. "With lower processing costs and simplified pricing, they can focus on serving customers rather than navigating complex payment fees." Dr Zhong warned "the transition needs careful monitoring" and it remains to be seen if and when actual savings filter down to businesses and consumers. Following news of the proposed changes, three-quarters of more than 3000 customers surveyed by financial comparison site Canstar said the fees should be banned. A survey of more than 1000 people commissioned by Visa earlier in July reported 85 per cent would prefer surcharges be built into upfront prices rather than charged separately. The payments provider said reducing interchange fees risked hampering local investment in fraud protection. "This is a dramatic shift that would have ripple effects far beyond payments," Visa Oceania manager Alan Machet said. After the morning rush of lattes and flat-whites flying out the door, Alan Low likes to settle in with his own coffee and try to balance his cafe's books. The exercise could become even trickier after the Reserve Bank of Australia proposed to remove surcharges on EFTPOS, Mastercard and Visa card transactions, which could save consumers $1.2 billion a year. But the inner-Sydney cafe owner feels small businesses have been left out of the equation. Every cent counts with a necessary $12,000-$15,000 a year collected through surcharges on the volume of sales Mr Low's cafe does. "There's nothing that is actually cheap for us," he told AAP. "There has to be one way that is actually to help us substitute it out "There's no way for us to absorb the cost anymore ... and the last thing we want is to jack up the prices for customers." Lowering the cap on interchange fees - another RBA recommendation - could save the sector $1.2 billion. The fee is paid by a business to a customer's card issuer when a transaction occurs. But for Mr Low - who rattled off a list of exorbitant expenses ranging from electricity, wages and insurance - the expected changes could have an impact. Small business owners face the same inflationary pressures that have hit consumers in recent years, he said. The cafe's margins have taken a hit as workers come into the city less frequently and residential buildings eat up spaces. The peak hospitality body also slammed the RBA's decision, saying it does not go far enough to help small businesses out. "To put it bluntly, it's a political fix – not a solution," Australian Hotels Association chief executive Stephen Ferguson said. "The RBA policy to ban surcharges just covers up the problem." But RMIT academic Angel Zhong was more upbeat, arguing the changes would overhaul an outdated transaction system and foster competition in payment services. "Small businesses stand to gain significantly from both the surcharge ban and interchange fee caps," she said. "With lower processing costs and simplified pricing, they can focus on serving customers rather than navigating complex payment fees." Dr Zhong warned "the transition needs careful monitoring" and it remains to be seen if and when actual savings filter down to businesses and consumers. Following news of the proposed changes, three-quarters of more than 3000 customers surveyed by financial comparison site Canstar said the fees should be banned. A survey of more than 1000 people commissioned by Visa earlier in July reported 85 per cent would prefer surcharges be built into upfront prices rather than charged separately. The payments provider said reducing interchange fees risked hampering local investment in fraud protection. "This is a dramatic shift that would have ripple effects far beyond payments," Visa Oceania manager Alan Machet said. After the morning rush of lattes and flat-whites flying out the door, Alan Low likes to settle in with his own coffee and try to balance his cafe's books. The exercise could become even trickier after the Reserve Bank of Australia proposed to remove surcharges on EFTPOS, Mastercard and Visa card transactions, which could save consumers $1.2 billion a year. But the inner-Sydney cafe owner feels small businesses have been left out of the equation. Every cent counts with a necessary $12,000-$15,000 a year collected through surcharges on the volume of sales Mr Low's cafe does. "There's nothing that is actually cheap for us," he told AAP. "There has to be one way that is actually to help us substitute it out "There's no way for us to absorb the cost anymore ... and the last thing we want is to jack up the prices for customers." Lowering the cap on interchange fees - another RBA recommendation - could save the sector $1.2 billion. The fee is paid by a business to a customer's card issuer when a transaction occurs. But for Mr Low - who rattled off a list of exorbitant expenses ranging from electricity, wages and insurance - the expected changes could have an impact. Small business owners face the same inflationary pressures that have hit consumers in recent years, he said. The cafe's margins have taken a hit as workers come into the city less frequently and residential buildings eat up spaces. The peak hospitality body also slammed the RBA's decision, saying it does not go far enough to help small businesses out. "To put it bluntly, it's a political fix – not a solution," Australian Hotels Association chief executive Stephen Ferguson said. "The RBA policy to ban surcharges just covers up the problem." But RMIT academic Angel Zhong was more upbeat, arguing the changes would overhaul an outdated transaction system and foster competition in payment services. "Small businesses stand to gain significantly from both the surcharge ban and interchange fee caps," she said. "With lower processing costs and simplified pricing, they can focus on serving customers rather than navigating complex payment fees." Dr Zhong warned "the transition needs careful monitoring" and it remains to be seen if and when actual savings filter down to businesses and consumers. Following news of the proposed changes, three-quarters of more than 3000 customers surveyed by financial comparison site Canstar said the fees should be banned. A survey of more than 1000 people commissioned by Visa earlier in July reported 85 per cent would prefer surcharges be built into upfront prices rather than charged separately. The payments provider said reducing interchange fees risked hampering local investment in fraud protection. "This is a dramatic shift that would have ripple effects far beyond payments," Visa Oceania manager Alan Machet said. After the morning rush of lattes and flat-whites flying out the door, Alan Low likes to settle in with his own coffee and try to balance his cafe's books. The exercise could become even trickier after the Reserve Bank of Australia proposed to remove surcharges on EFTPOS, Mastercard and Visa card transactions, which could save consumers $1.2 billion a year. But the inner-Sydney cafe owner feels small businesses have been left out of the equation. Every cent counts with a necessary $12,000-$15,000 a year collected through surcharges on the volume of sales Mr Low's cafe does. "There's nothing that is actually cheap for us," he told AAP. "There has to be one way that is actually to help us substitute it out "There's no way for us to absorb the cost anymore ... and the last thing we want is to jack up the prices for customers." Lowering the cap on interchange fees - another RBA recommendation - could save the sector $1.2 billion. The fee is paid by a business to a customer's card issuer when a transaction occurs. But for Mr Low - who rattled off a list of exorbitant expenses ranging from electricity, wages and insurance - the expected changes could have an impact. Small business owners face the same inflationary pressures that have hit consumers in recent years, he said. The cafe's margins have taken a hit as workers come into the city less frequently and residential buildings eat up spaces. The peak hospitality body also slammed the RBA's decision, saying it does not go far enough to help small businesses out. "To put it bluntly, it's a political fix – not a solution," Australian Hotels Association chief executive Stephen Ferguson said. "The RBA policy to ban surcharges just covers up the problem." But RMIT academic Angel Zhong was more upbeat, arguing the changes would overhaul an outdated transaction system and foster competition in payment services. "Small businesses stand to gain significantly from both the surcharge ban and interchange fee caps," she said. "With lower processing costs and simplified pricing, they can focus on serving customers rather than navigating complex payment fees." Dr Zhong warned "the transition needs careful monitoring" and it remains to be seen if and when actual savings filter down to businesses and consumers. Following news of the proposed changes, three-quarters of more than 3000 customers surveyed by financial comparison site Canstar said the fees should be banned. A survey of more than 1000 people commissioned by Visa earlier in July reported 85 per cent would prefer surcharges be built into upfront prices rather than charged separately. The payments provider said reducing interchange fees risked hampering local investment in fraud protection. "This is a dramatic shift that would have ripple effects far beyond payments," Visa Oceania manager Alan Machet said.
Perth Now
17 hours ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Cafes, small businesses fear brunt of surcharge cut
After the morning rush of lattes and flat-whites flying out the door, Alan Low likes to settle in with his own coffee and try to balance his cafe's books. The exercise could become even trickier after the Reserve Bank of Australia proposed to remove surcharges on EFTPOS, Mastercard and Visa card transactions, which could save consumers $1.2 billion a year. But the inner-Sydney cafe owner feels small businesses have been left out of the equation. Every cent counts with a necessary $12,000-$15,000 a year collected through surcharges on the volume of sales Mr Low's cafe does. "There's nothing that is actually cheap for us," he told AAP. "There has to be one way that is actually to help us substitute it out "There's no way for us to absorb the cost anymore ... and the last thing we want is to jack up the prices for customers." Lowering the cap on interchange fees - another RBA recommendation - could save the sector $1.2 billion. The fee is paid by a business to a customer's card issuer when a transaction occurs. But for Mr Low - who rattled off a list of exorbitant expenses ranging from electricity, wages and insurance - the expected changes could have an impact. Small business owners face the same inflationary pressures that have hit consumers in recent years, he said. The cafe's margins have taken a hit as workers come into the city less frequently and residential buildings eat up spaces. The peak hospitality body also slammed the RBA's decision, saying it does not go far enough to help small businesses out. "To put it bluntly, it's a political fix – not a solution," Australian Hotels Association chief executive Stephen Ferguson said. "The RBA policy to ban surcharges just covers up the problem." But RMIT academic Angel Zhong was more upbeat, arguing the changes would overhaul an outdated transaction system and foster competition in payment services. "Small businesses stand to gain significantly from both the surcharge ban and interchange fee caps," she said. "With lower processing costs and simplified pricing, they can focus on serving customers rather than navigating complex payment fees." Dr Zhong warned "the transition needs careful monitoring" and it remains to be seen if and when actual savings filter down to businesses and consumers. Following news of the proposed changes, three-quarters of more than 3000 customers surveyed by financial comparison site Canstar said the fees should be banned. A survey of more than 1000 people commissioned by Visa earlier in July reported 85 per cent would prefer surcharges be built into upfront prices rather than charged separately. The payments provider said reducing interchange fees risked hampering local investment in fraud protection. "This is a dramatic shift that would have ripple effects far beyond payments," Visa Oceania manager Alan Machet said.
Malaysian Reserve
a day ago
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
MAMBA: Avoid politicising e-commerce fee hikes, focus on MSME sustainability
THE Malaysian Micro Business Association (MAMBA) has urged for a balanced and constructive conversation around recent fee changes by e-commerce platforms, warning against scare tactics and politicisation. 'We must avoid scare tactics and politicising important conversations that directly affect thousands of Malaysian sellers,' said MAMBA secretary-general Alvin Low Wei Yan. 'There needs to be room for discussion—so that everyone, from sellers to shoppers to platforms—can win,' he said. Low said the influx of cheap imports, especially from China amid the ongoing trade war, is already threatening local MSMEs, adding that fee adjustments may be necessary to ensure platforms can continue investing in infrastructure and services. 'Good customer experience is not just a buyer issue – it's a seller issue too,' he said. 'Sellers benefit when platforms are seen as trustworthy and efficient.' MAMBA stressed the importance of collaboration between government, platforms, and seller groups to protect MSMEs, warning that blanket criticism and punitive calls could harm the broader digital economy. 'Calling for authorities to threaten or punish platforms simply for raising fees is counter-productive and risks undermining the very ecosystem we are trying to strengthen,' said Low. –TMR
