Hanifah delivers her speech at the event.
KUCHING (June 23): Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation Berhad (SDEC) and Yayasan Peneraju (YP) launched the SME Digitise! Programme at Kingwood Hotel in Mukah yesterday.
The programme meant to assist in the digitalisation journey of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through financial aid and comprehensive training, would equip the participants with important digital tools and skills to enhance their operational efficiency and competitiveness.
It targets a maximum of 15 to 30 per cent increase in revenue generation for MSMEs within one year of participation, said the organisers in a press release.
The SME Digitise! Programme currently operates across three cohorts namely Cohort 1 (Mukah and Serian) from December 2023 to November 2024; Cohort 2 (Sri Aman and Kapit) this August; and Cohort 3 (Betong and Lawas) in February next year.
Deputy Minister of Economy and Mukah Member of Parliament Dato Hanifah Taib launched the event, joined by SDEC chief executive officer Sudarnoto Osman, and YP Strategy executive vice president Zatur-Rawihah Omar.
The ceremony also saw the handover of SME Digitise! Kit to 22 programme recipients to kick-start their digital transformation journey.
In her speech, Hanifah emphasised the contributions of MSMEs to the local and national economy, adding that such programmes reflect the concerted efforts of both the federal and Sarawak governments in supporting local businesses through e-commerce initiatives.
She expressed her belief in the programme’s positive impact on MSMEs, making them more competitive and providing opportunities for local products to access global markets.
Meanwhile, Sudarnoto remarked that the programme implementation is vital for actualising the digitalisation efforts of the government.
“Through this initiative, we aim to provide an end-to-end one-year digitalisation onboarding package for MSMEs, encompassing comprehensive training and hands-on guidance in utilising digital tools and skills for day-to-day business operations,” he said.
Adding on, he said the SME Digitise! programme provided the participants access to facilities provided at the hub for one year without any charges.
Sudarnoto later announced the ongoing construction of the Digital Innovation Hub (DIH) in Mukah which is expected to be completed by October this year.
Zatur-Rawihah meanwhile highlighted the importance of digital technologies and the needs for MSMEs to collaborate with SDEC, as well as to utilise the resources provided by YP and other organisations.
Thesem she said, are crucial for developing competitive Bumiputera enterprises and talents, contributing to the nation’s long-term economic growth.
Apart from the launching ceremony, SDEC also promoted its community development and education programme through the Science on Wheels (SoW) initiative.
SoW will be showcased at SK Sg Duan in Balingian, near Mukah on June 24 to inspire and encourage young learners’ interests in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
To date, SoW has impacted over 2,500 school-going children and resulted in the formation of five STEM clubs in Sarawak.