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ALOR SETAR: The significant contribution of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) prompted the government to initiate various measures and assistance to rejuvenate the sector, said Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz (photo ).
He acknowledged that the sector is also the largest contributor to employment, constituting 70 percent of the country’s workforce.
“Many of the economic stimulus packages presented earlier, such as the Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package, KitaPrihatin and Penjana (National Economic Recovery Plan), focused on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
“We were able to see the impact of the motion control order (MCO) since March last year, on MSMEs, so we continue to assist them with government assignments,” he said after launching the Pekan Rabu Digital Program here today.
In addition, he referred to the most recent initiative, the Strategic Program for the Empowerment of People and the Economy (Pemerkasa), which also aimed to prop up SMEs.
“For Pemerkasa, the government set aside an additional RM 500 million in microcredit financing through programs of the relevant agencies,” he said.
On the digital program, Tengku Zafrul said it was an initiative to encourage small merchants operating in the Pekan Rabu shopping complex to make their sales online.
“We note that online sales have increased considerably, particularly since March of last year when the MCO was enforced. We do not want SMEs, especially MSMEs, to be left out of the opportunity, “he said.
The Pekan Rabu digital program is an initiative of Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) whereby merchants in the business complex receive free WiFi for one year so that they can conduct their business online.
TM Group CEO and CEO Imri Mokhtar told reporters when they met that merchants also received the app and training to enable them to use the marketing platform more effectively.
“Apart from Kompleks Pekan Rabu, we will see other places that have a need primarily to facilitate marketing and digital business, especially for MSMEs,” he said. – Called
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