PUTRAJAYA – The government, through government-linked companies (GLCs) and government-linked investment companies (GLICs), has approved a special initial fund of RM1 billion to nurture a new generation of Bumiputera entrepreneurs, said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The prime minister said that this initiative aims to provide support and assistance to create more Bumiputera entrepreneurs.
“We must be able to create more Bumiputera entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs like the local company Aerodyne, which has successfully penetrated the global market in drone services.
“We must take pride in Les Copaque and Animosta, who excel in creative works, as well as young entrepreneur Khairul Aming,” he said in his closing speech at the Bumiputera Economic Congress held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) today. – March 2, 2024
Furthermore, the prime minister said that the government is ready to enhance access to micro-credit financing facilities for those in need.
He said that the government will allocate a special fund for Bumiputera micro-credit financing of up to RM1 billion through development financial institutions such as Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN), Agrobank, and Tekun Nasional.
“This is to provide support to various segments of Bumiputera entrepreneurs, including women, youth, military veterans, as well as hawkers, gig workers, and food truck operators,” he said.
In addition, the prime minister said that to support the development of local vendors, the government will improve tax incentives and establish a matching grant fund of RM100 million.
He stated that this is to encourage more private companies to implement vendor development programmes, including the provision of training programmes and skill enhancement in new fields, especially in digitalisation, energy transition, and technology.
“The time has come for the private sector, including non-Bumiputera companies and multinational corporations, to support the implementation of vendor development programs because ultimately, this will benefit the country.
“This effort is expected to benefit up to 10,000 local micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), especially Bumiputera entrepreneurs, and it is also open to guiding, for example, Indian MSMEs,” he added. – March 2, 2024