Latest news with #Mintred
Borneo Post
22-05-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
No immediate plans for youth entrepreneurship centre in Balingian, says S'wak deputy minister
Ripin notes that there are existing nearby facilities that can be utilised by youth and local entrepreneurs. – Photo by Roystein Emmor KUCHING (May 22): The Sarawak Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development (MySED) has clarified that there are currently no plans to establish a Youth Entrepreneurship Centre or Creative Industry Incubator in Balingian, despite ongoing efforts to align with digitalisation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0). This was stated by its deputy minister Datuk Dr Ripin Lamat in response to a question raised by Balingian assemblyman Abdul Yakub Arbi during the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here today. 'For the information of the Honourable Member for Balingian, the ministry currently has no plans to establish a Youth Entrepreneurship Centre and Creative Industry Incubator in Balingian,' he said. However, Ripin noted that there are existing nearby facilities that can be utilised by youth and local entrepreneurs. These include the Mukah Digital Innovation Hub, operated by the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), and Pusat Inkubator dan Bimbingan Usahawan (Pibu) in Mukah, managed by SEDC, he said. He added that the State Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment (Mintred) is planning to establish Anjung Usahawan Balingian, with the land acquisition process for the project site already completed. 'The Anjung Usahawan Balingian is expected to offer several key services, including serving as a processing centre to support small-scale production activities, sales kiosks for entrepreneurs to market their products, and food stalls to encourage local food vendors. 'The facility will also include an incubator to nurture startup businesses and a community activity space for engagement and development programmes. 'Should the Honourable Member have any suggestions for improvement, they may contact Mintred,' he said. In response to a supplementary question on efforts to empower youth involvement in entrepreneurship, Ripin highlighted several strategic initiatives currently being implemented. 'The ministry is enhancing 'Program Jelajah Belia Sarawak' to raise awareness among youth about the potential, opportunities, and future career prospects in entrepreneurship. 'It is also organising Youth Entrepreneur Setup (YES) 3.0 in every district to promote entrepreneurial awareness and provide early guidance on business licensing and the relevant agencies involved,' he said. To further encourage youth participation, Ripin also said the ministry is increasing engagement among students in both public and private higher education institutions through the Sarawak Youth Business Idea Competition (Saybic). 'This programme, conducted in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Sarawak, aims to nurture interest in entrepreneurship, identify young talent, and promote entrepreneurship as a viable career path,' he added. 'Additionally, the Sarawak Youth StartUP Development Programme offers a comprehensive course covering the fundamentals and advanced aspects of entrepreneurship. 'These include business administration, financial management, human resource management, certification, marketing, branding, risk analysis, and business planning. 'The first cohort of this programme was held in December 2024, while the second cohort is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2025.' Furthermore, he said the ministry is also strengthening collaboration with other ministries such as Mintred, the Federal Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry (Kuskop), and other relevant Sarawak state and federal government agencies, in an effort to build a symbiotic ecosystem that can support the development of successful and competitive youth entrepreneurs. Looking ahead, Ripin said the establishment of a Startup Hub could be considered based on future developments and needs. Creative Industry Incubator DUN ripin lamat Youth Entrepreneurship Centre
Borneo Post
23-04-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
SEDCC reaffirms commitment to support Sarawak entrepreneurs
Awang Tengah (centre) witnesses the handover of an additional RM5 million to Agrobank for the implementation of the SKMS for 2025 during the meeting. KUCHING (April 24): The Sarawak Entrepreneur Development Coordination Committee (SEDCC) held its first meeting of the year yesterday, reaffirming the state's commitment to enhancing its entrepreneurial landscape. According to the Ministry of International Trade, Industry, and Investment Sarawak (Mintred), the strategic platform brought together over 80 representatives from 45 federal and 38 state agencies involved in the implementation of entrepreneurship development programmes across Sarawak. 'The committee, with Mintred as its secretariat, aims to refine policies and coordinate the execution of various initiatives supporting local entrepreneurs. 'One of the highlights of the meeting was the ceremonial handing over of an additional RM5 million to Agrobank for the implementation of the Sarawak Micro Credit Scheme (SKMS) for 2025. 'The handover was witnessed by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan — who is also Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development II and Minister for International Trade, Industry and Investment. 'Meanwhile, Mintred permanent secretary Dzulkornain Masron presented the funds to Agrobank regional director for Sarawak Abdul Halek Abdullah,' it said in a press statement yesterday. From 2021 through the first quarter of 2025, it added that the Sarawak government, through Mintred, has supported over 45,500 entrepreneurs with assistance amounting to RM199.49 million. This support came via various programmes such as the Small and Medium Industry Loan Scheme (SPIKS); SKMS; Graduates Towards Entrepreneurship (GERAK); Technical and Vocational Entrepreneurs (USTEV); Go Digital; and several basic, technical, and digital entrepreneurship initiatives, along with promotional efforts at national and international expos. Awang Tengah, in the same statement, highlighted the role of Entrepreneur Database System (Enbase), a centralised digital platform, in enabling data-driven policy planning and monitoring. 'Enbase will allow us to deliver specialised programmes—financial assistance, capacity building, and product promotion—more effectively to the right target groups, including rural entrepreneurs,' he said. He also encouraged Sarawak's entrepreneurs to embrace the best practices, adopt cutting-edge technologies, and align with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles to boost business productivity and competitiveness. It was also revealed that beyond Mintred, agencies such as SME Corp Malaysia, SME Bank, Mara, Tekun, SKM, Tegas, SDEC, and STIDC have extended assistance to over 177,000 Sarawakian entrepreneurs, amounting to RM2.6 billion in aid. Among the officials present during the meeting were Deputy Minister of Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Dr Ripin Lamat; Mintred advisor Dato Sri Mohd Naroden Majais; and senior officials from various federal and state agencies.
