Awang Tengah (fifth left) puts his hand on a handprint device to symbolically officiate the Kelab Usahawan Ikhtiar Miri Gala Dinner. Also seen are (from third left) Abdul Aziz, Ripin, Tuty and Roslan.
MIRI (March 5): Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs are fundamental to economic growth and development, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
Awang Tengah, who is also Minister of International Trade and Investment, said the state government has carried out numerous entrepreneurial development programmes to help local SMEs improve their business capacity and capability.
Among them were Digital Entrepreneurship Programme, Basic Entrepreneurship Programme, Technical Entrepreneurship Programme, Food Handling Courses, Jum REGISTA BISNES and product promotions through the mass media, he said.
“Sarawak is the only state in Malaysia to provide a three and a half years’ low interest subsidy scheme to eligible SMEs – under its Special Relief Fund (SRF), Targeted Relief and Recovery Facility (TRRF) as well as PENJANA Tourism Fund (PTF).
The Second Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development remarked that the BKSS (SarawakKu Sayang Special Assistance) application for SRF, TRRF and PTF amounting to RM76.1 million had already been approved before 31 Jan 2022.
“All these allocations have been channelled to 3,335 beneficiaries,” he disclosed when officiating at the Kelab Usahawan Ikhtiar Miri (KUIM) Gala Dinner at Imperial Hotel here Friday night.
The event also witnessed the presentation of Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) achievement awards and distribution of Khairat Fund to AIM members’ beneficiaries.
Since its inception in 1987, AIM has helped reduce the number of poor and low income households in Malaysia by offering financial assistance in the form of micro credit, guidance for entrepreneurs as well as providing benefits through Khairat Fund, Sahabat Welfare & Wellbeing Fund and Cooperative Group Fund.
He said in 2022 alone, AIM Sarawak had allocated a capital of RM268.48 million for AIM members.
From the total, RM13.51 million were channelled to AIM entrepreneurs in Miri and another RM2.95 million to those eligible under Sahabat Welfare & Wellbeing Fund.
“Since the (Sarawak) branch was established, AIM has managed to record a 99 per cent repayment. In Miri, all Sahabat Usahawan here have managed to repay 100 per cent of their loans without any repayment problems,” he pointed out.
He therefore urged all AIM Sarawak members to make good use of the opportunities provided by AIM to improve their livelihood.
“Use the capital as best as possible and commit yourself to be a good entrepreneur in all aspects. Have high integrity and strengthen competitiveness in order for the business industry to grow and be more productive,” he urged.
Deputy Minister for Youth, Sport and. Entrepreneur Development II, Dr Ripin Lamat; director of Research Training and Innovation Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, Roslan Pakon, Miri Resident Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusuf and KUIM chairperson, Tuty Hartini Mohamad Hossin were among those present at the event.