Kota Kinabalu: The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (Kuskop) has produced 83,361 new entrepreneurs nationwide this year, said its Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick.
He said Kuskop and its 10 agencies had successfully implemented a total of 187 programmes nationwide, as of November, providing great benefits to the development of entrepreneurs in the country.
“The programmes benefit 755,909 entrepreneurs, consisting of micro, small and medium entrepreneurs (PMKS), as well as cooperative entrepreneurs,” he said in a statement, Friday.
Ewon added that this year Kuskop has introduced and implemented more than 22 new programmes, schemes and assistance through its eight agencies.
He said the implementing agencies are Tekun Nasional, SME Bank, UDA Holding Berhad, the National Institute of Entrepreneurship (Insken), Bank Rakyat, the Malaysia Cooperative Societies Commission (SKM), SME Corp Malaysia and the Cooperative Institute of Malaysia (IKMa).
Kuskop also implemented 15 new initiatives, including the Tamu Entrepreneur Financing Scheme (SPUT); the Craft Entrepreneur Financing Scheme; the Social Financing Scheme; the Sustainability Incentive Scheme and the Sustainable Champion Scheme.
Other initiatives are the Basic Product and Service Development Course (KAPPS); Advanced Cash Management Course (KUT); BRPlus; BRTani; BRJohorniaga; Rakyat2E; Micro Madani Strengthening programme (Mikro Madani) and Bumiputera Enterprise Enhancement Programme (Beep) Plus for Sabah and Sarawak.
“Kuskop through SKM also re-introduced the Young Entrepreneurs Strive For Success (YESS), which has been delayed since 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
Apart from that, he said IKMa implemented two new programmes this year, namely the Targeted Large Cooperative Guidance and the Compulsory Course (Plus) (Advanced Cooperative Board Governance).
To encourage more individuals to get training, as well as to produce entrepreneurs in Sabah and Sarawak, Insken opened its first branch in Sabah in May this year, and the second branch in Sarawak in October this year, he said.
