Collaboration crucial for entrepreneurship devt

Published on: Sunday, June 15, 2025
Published on: Sun, Jun 15, 2025
By: R Gonzales Text Size: Ewon presenting a certificate to one of the participants. KOTA BELUD: The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (Kuskop) remains committed to supporting entrepreneurship development across the country, implemented through various agencies and financial institutions. Citing agencies such as Cedar and SME Bank as examples, its Minister, Datuk Ewon Benedick, said collaboration between the government, private sector, financial institutions and entrepreneurs is crucial in building a progressive, sustainable, and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Advertisement 'Kuskop will continue to support entrepreneurship development together with the implementing agencies involved, including state agencies and industry partners,' he said. 'This is in line with the Madani Entrepreneur Advancement Programme, a strategic initiative managed by SME Bank announced under Budget 2025 to strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of entrepreneurs in facing economic challenges.' 'Under Kuskop's supervision, the programme focuses on intensive training and soft skills development, in line with the Entrepreneur Capacity Empowerment Strategy outlined in Kuskop's 2025 Strategic Plan,' he added. He said this during the closing ceremony of the Madani Entrepreneur Advancement Programme organized by SME Bank, an agency under the Ministry, at Tag Valley here. It is understood that the programme involved 40 entrepreneurs from various districts, including Kota Belud, Kota Marudu, and Kota Kinabalu. According to Ewon, this programme is the second series held in Sabah, following the first implementation in the Tawau district last May. 'This is part of the Madani Entrepreneur Advancement Programme implemented by SME Bank nationwide. Kuskop will continue to support such initiatives in line with the National Entrepreneurship Policy (DKN) 2030,' he said. 'To date, a total of 1,361 entrepreneurs across the country have participated in this programme. I believe with the guidance provided by Cedar, a subsidiary of SME Bank, the business management quality of MSME entrepreneurs in our country can be significantly improved.' Since its introduction, the programme has offered various high-impact training modules, resulting from comprehensive engagement with entrepreneurs. 'Each module is designed to enhance knowledge, boost innovation, and prepare entrepreneurs to compete at higher levels,' he said. Further commenting on the programme's achievements, Ewon said as of May 2025, a total of 1,361 entrepreneurs have been trained under the Madani Entrepreneur Advancement Programme nationwide. 'Out of this number, 148 participants are from Sabah. This clearly shows a very positive response from the state's entrepreneurs, as well as the effectiveness of the programme's approach in enhancing their respective business capabilities,' he added. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Daily Express

7 hours ago

• Daily Express

Need to shield B40 from SST impact: Umno

Published on: Saturday, June 21, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jun 21, 2025 By: Abbey Junior Text Size: Suhaimi noted that Sabah remains one of the states most affected by development imbalance and income inequality — making it all the more urgent for the government to provide strong buffers against the impact of new taxes. Kota Kinabalu: With the full implementation of the Sales and Services Tax (SST) in Sabah just around the corner, the state government must explain what measures are in place to protect low-income groups from the expected rise in living costs. Sabah Umno information chief Datuk Suhaimi Nasir said the absence of clear strategies to assist vulnerable communities is worrying, especially as nearly 40pc of households in the state fall under the B40 category. 'Many depend on informal work or subsistence economies. The SST could erode their already limited purchasing power — particularly in rural areas,' said Suhaimi, who is also Libaran MP, in a statement on Friday (June 20). The tax rollout, set to begin on July 1, was introduced under Budget 2025 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Under the new framework, a 5pc–10pc sales tax will apply to selected non-essential goods, while the service tax is being extended to sectors such as rental and leasing, construction, finance, private healthcare, private education, and beauty services. Suhaimi noted that Sabah remains one of the states most affected by development imbalance and income inequality — making it all the more urgent for the government to provide strong buffers against the impact of new taxes. While he acknowledged the importance of SST in boosting national revenue, he said it must be balanced with fair and inclusive support policies to prevent it from becoming a burden to ordinary Sabahans. Advertisement He urged the state government to implement targeted subsidies, expand the scope of price controls on essential goods, and provide conditional cash assistance to help households cope. 'The revenue collected must be returned to the people through tangible improvements in rural infrastructure — such as roads, clinics, clean water, and internet coverage — especially in interior areas still left behind,' he said. 'Sabahans deserve transparency on how public funds are spent and how these measures directly benefit their daily lives. Trust is not built on slogans, but on action that prioritises those most in need.' * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia

The Star

a day ago

• The Star

220 agri projects approved nationwide under land usage scheme

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 220 projects have been approved under the Land Use Optimisation Programme in collaboration with state governments nationwide last year and this year, as of May 30. The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry said the projects encompass crop cultivation, livestock, fisheries, agro-tourism, and capacity-building for farmers, planters, fishermen and breeders. ALSO READ: Malaysia's food security at risk "Through Budget 2025, the Federal Government has allocated RM300mil to execute various agricultural development initiatives in partnership with state governments. "This programme includes improving, upgrading and carrying out agricultural activities on land which is under the joint jurisdiction of state governments and the ministry,' it said in a statement on Friday (June 20). The matter was announced at the first meeting of the Agriculture and Food Security Minister with state agriculture executive councillors for this year in Putrajaya on Thursday (June 19). The meeting also discussed a proposal for the official handover of 51 National Satellite Farm complexes built by the Veterinary Services Department using federal funds on state-owned land in Negri Sembilan, Johor and Perak. ALSO READ: Food security game-changer: Malaysia entering cultured meat revolution "This move aims to streamline the leasing and maintenance of immovable assets by the respective state authorities in a lawful and organised manner. "The meeting agreed that the handover would resolve issues of unclear asset ownership and enable state governments to manage and maintain the assets more systematically, ensuring the continuity of livestock operations and optimal use of existing infrastructure,' the statement read. Meanwhile, on the role of state executive councillors addressing "grey areas" in rice bowl zones, one of the proposals raised was to transfer assets with unclear ownership to the state or district Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID), to ensure more efficient and effective padi field irrigation management. "This effort is expected to resolve overlapping responsibilities between the Integrated Agriculture Development Area and DID, thereby streamlining infrastructure management and boosting national padi production,' the statement added. ALSO READ: Ensuring food security in face of climate change Meanwhile, state governments are encouraged to leverage data from the 2024 Interim Agricultural Census and the Integrated Agricultural Statistics System (TaniStats) to formulate more focused and high-impact policies, strategies and development plans for the agri-food sector at the state level, it said. "The meeting also noted the urgent need for strategic action to address cross-border livestock smuggling along the Malaysia-Thailand border, to safeguard the sector from disease threats and ensure its continued competitiveness,' the statement read. The meeting was a platform for policy coordination, information sharing and aligning commitments between the Federal and state governments to drive a more integrated agri-food development agenda. – Bernama

Barnama

a day ago

• Barnama

KPKM Approved 220 Agricultural Projects Under Land Use Optimisation Programme

KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 (Bernama) -- A total of 220 projects have been approved under the Land Use Optimisation Programme in collaboration with state governments nationwide for 2024 and 2025, as of May 30. In a statement today, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) announced that the projects encompass crop cultivation, livestock, fisheries, agro-tourism, and capacity-building for farmers, planters, fishermen and breeders. 'Through Budget 2025, the Federal government has allocated RM300 million to execute various agricultural development initiatives in partnership with state governments. 'This programme includes improving, upgrading and carrying out agricultural activities on land which is under the joint jurisdiction of state governments and KPKM,' the statement read. The matter was announced at the first meeting of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security with State Agriculture Executive Councillors for 2025, held in Putrajaya yesterday. In addition to two papers for consideration and five papers for information, the meeting also discussed a proposal for the official handover of 51 National Satellite Farm complexes built by the Department of Veterinary Services using federal funds on state-owned land in Negeri Sembilan, Johor and Perak. 'This move aims to streamline the leasing and maintenance of immovable assets by the respective state authorities in a lawful and organised manner. 'The meeting agreed that the handover would resolve issues of unclear asset ownership and enable state governments to manage and maintain the assets more systematically, ensuring the continuity of livestock operations and optimal use of existing infrastructure,' the statement read. Meanwhile, on the role of state executive councillors addressing 'grey areas' in rice bowl zones, one of the proposals raised was to transfer assets with unclear ownership to the state or district Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS), to ensure more efficient and effective padi field irrigation management.