Kota Kinabalu: The Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry (Kuskop) has proposed the establishment of a development council for entrepreneurs, cooperatives, hawkers and petty traders in every district across the country starting this year.
Its Minister, Datuk Ewon Benedick said the council would be chaired by the District Officer to manage development and resolve issues related to entrepreneurs, cooperatives, hawkers, and petty traders at the grassroots level more effectively.
“Previously, there was a council for the development of entrepreneurs and cooperatives at the Parliament level, but the council needs to be empowered,” he said at the dialogue programme with Pacos, the Malaysian Advanced Entrepreneurs’ Association (PUMM) and the Hawkers and Petty Traders’ Association.
Kuskop has 10 agencies that each has a role to help entrepreneurs, namely Tekun Nasional, SKM, Institut Koperasi Malaysia, SME Corp Malaysia, Bank Rakyat, SME Bank, UDA Holdings Berhad, Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM), the National Institute of Entrepreneurship and the National Corporation Berhad (Pernas).
Ewon who is Penampang MP also hoped that the Penampang Entrepreneurship Development Plan could be completed within the first three months of next year to enable it to be used as a ministry policy and programme.
“I have requested the District Office, the Penampang Parliamentary Office and the Kadazandusun Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) to complete this development plan within three months.
“This development plan is my vision to develop Penampang in the field of digital-based entrepreneurship, agro-tourism based enterprises, social enterprises and small hawker enterprises in the guest houses,” he said.
Meanwhile, he welcomed the proposal to establish a Pacos Trust cooperative to improve the community’s economy.
Ewon said, although Pacos is more about fighting for basic human rights, it would not be wrong if the non-governmental organisation expands its role in the economic field.
“It is time for Pacos to expand its economic role to help increase community income.
“I will ask officers of the Malaysian Cooperative Commission (SKM) to give a briefing to Pacos on the establishment of cooperatives and also briefings from several other ministry agencies,” he said. Ewon hoped that through the establishment of the cooperative, it would help improve the socio-economics of rural communities.
He said Kuskop would provide an allocation of RM20 million next year specifically for community-based enterprises.
“I have said previously that without reducing the existing focus in the ministry, I want to give additional focus to Sabah and Sarawak as well as the indigenous villages in the peninsula in the development of entrepreneurs and cooperatives,” he said.
