
KUSKOP aids 8,466 Indian entrepreneurs in first five months of 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (KUSKOP) has assisted 8,466 Indian entrepreneurs through multiple initiatives between January and May this year. These programmes, including Prosperity Empowerment and A New Normal for Indian Women (PENN), Bank Rakyat Indian Entrepreneur Financing-i (BRIEF-i), and the SPUMI Empowerment Financing Scheme (SPUMI Goes Big), aim to enhance economic inclusivity.
KUSKOP Deputy Minister Datuk Seri R Ramanan highlighted the government's dedication to uplifting the Indian community in entrepreneurship. 'This demonstrates that Indian entrepreneurs are integral to Malaysia's economic progress,' he said during a press conference after launching the Vanigham Financing Scheme under SME Bank.
The scheme allocates RM50 million for Indian small businesses, offering loans between RM100,000 and RM300,000 at a subsidised 6% interest rate. Due to high demand, SME Bank expanded funding to RM140 million, redirecting applicants to other suitable programmes.
Today, RM2 million was disbursed to the first 20 beneficiaries. Also present were ministry deputy secretary-general Datuk Saidatu Akhma Hassan and SME Bank chairman Datuk Muslim Hussain.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Malaysia Sun
2 hours ago
- Malaysia Sun
Government-linked SME Bank rolls out 50 mln USD to boost high-impact sectors in Malaysia
Xinhua 26 Jun 2025, 14:45 GMT+10 KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian government-owned Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Berhad (SME Bank) announced on Thursday a suite of strategic initiatives valued at 211 million ringgit (49.94 million U.S. dollars), reinforcing its commitment to advancing the government's MADANI economic framework and in alignment with the bank's mandate under the National Budget 2025. Focusing on high-impact sectors such as technology, tourism, halal, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG), these initiatives also promote inclusivity by empowering low-income group and Islamic entrepreneurs, reinforcing the bank's role in building a resilient and future-ready micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) ecosystem, the bank said in a statement. "In line with our developmental mandate, we are pleased to inject more excitement in the MSME sector with the launch of new program, forming part of the strategic initiatives exceeding 1 billion ringgit entrusted to SME Bank under the National Budget 2025," said Mohammad Hardee Ibrahim, acting group president/chief executive officer of SME Bank. Riding on this positive momentum, he said the bank remains firmly on track to achieve its 3 billion ringgit approved financing target for this year with continued emphasis on key strategic sectors. (1 ringgit equals 0.24 U.S. dollar)


The Sun
5 hours ago
- The Sun
KUSKOP aids 8,466 Indian entrepreneurs in first five months of 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (KUSKOP) has assisted 8,466 Indian entrepreneurs through multiple initiatives between January and May this year. These programmes, including Prosperity Empowerment and A New Normal for Indian Women (PENN), Bank Rakyat Indian Entrepreneur Financing-i (BRIEF-i), and the SPUMI Empowerment Financing Scheme (SPUMI Goes Big), aim to enhance economic inclusivity. KUSKOP Deputy Minister Datuk Seri R Ramanan highlighted the government's dedication to uplifting the Indian community in entrepreneurship. 'This demonstrates that Indian entrepreneurs are integral to Malaysia's economic progress,' he said during a press conference after launching the Vanigham Financing Scheme under SME Bank. The scheme allocates RM50 million for Indian small businesses, offering loans between RM100,000 and RM300,000 at a subsidised 6% interest rate. Due to high demand, SME Bank expanded funding to RM140 million, redirecting applicants to other suitable programmes. Today, RM2 million was disbursed to the first 20 beneficiaries. Also present were ministry deputy secretary-general Datuk Saidatu Akhma Hassan and SME Bank chairman Datuk Muslim Hussain.


Borneo Post
7 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Sarawak to prioritise critical, technical courses under FTES for now, says Sagah
Sagah (third left), Mohamad Kadim (second left) and others carry out the 'Ngiling Bidai' ritual marking the end of Gawai. – Photo by Chimon Upon KUCHING (June 26): The Sarawak government will prioritise critical and technical courses under its Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) to meet the growing demands of industries in the state, said State Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister, Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn. While acknowledging the importance of other academic fields, Sagah said the initial focus must be on areas crucial to the state's economic development. 'I cannot make the decision myself, but what I can say is that next year's FTES will only cover critical courses. 'This is because we are seriously considering the urgent needs of Sarawak's industries,' he said. He was responding to a proposal by i-CATS University College Vice-Chancellor, Professor Emeritus Datuk Ts Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi, during the institution's Gawai Celebration today, who had earlier called for the scheme to be expanded to include more disciplines. Sagah said the state government hopes to see tangible results from the initial phase of the scheme, particularly in workforce development and income growth for Sarawak. 'If successful, the scheme may be expanded. Hopefully, as more students enter the workforce and help boost the state's income, we can eventually look at including more courses beyond just the critical ones,' he added. Earlier in his speech, Mohamad Kadim proposed that FTES be extended to non-technical fields such as economics, business, hospitality, and tourism, arguing that these sectors also play a vital role in Sarawak's development. He highlighted the hospitality industry's ongoing reliance on workers from outside Sarawak, stressing the need to develop more local talent for the sector. He said by strengthening education in hospitality and tourism, there would be more opportunities for Sarawakians to fill the growing vacancies The FTES, set to be implemented in 2026, will initially cover undergraduate programmes in STEM fields, law, medicine, accounting, finance, and psychology. Participating institutions include Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Curtin University Malaysia, University of Technology Sarawak (UTS), and i-CATS University College. courses Free Tertiary Education Scheme FTES Roland Sagah technical