KUSKOP Disbursed Over RM300 Mln To MSME Entrepreneurs, Cooperatives In NS Last Year

SEREMBAN, Feb 13 (Bernama) -- The Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Ministry (KUSKOP) disbursed financing worth RM346.28 million to 9,937 entrepreneurs of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and cooperatives in Negeri Sembilan throughout 2024.

Its Minister, Datuk Ewon Benedick said this was an increase compared to the RM340.26 million disbursed to 6,451 entrepreneurs and cooperatives in 2023.

"The financing was channelled through agencies under KUSKOP, including Bank Rakyat, TEKUN Nasional, SME Bank, Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, Perbadanan Nasional Berhad, SME Corp Malaysia and Malaysian Cooperative Societies Commission,” he said in a statement after a meeting with Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun at Parliament in Kuala Lumpur today.

Ewon said KUSKOP also provided training to improve the expertise and competitiveness of entrepreneurs and cooperatives in the state and, throughout last year, 292 entrepreneurs received guidance from the National Institute of Entrepreneurship while 123 cooperatives were guided by the Cooperative Institute of Malaysia.

He said there are two Negeri Sembilan cooperatives listed under the Top 100 Cooperatives Profile, namely Koperasi Peserta-Peserta FELCRA Kawasan Kerangai Penagoh Negeri Sembilan Berhad (30th position) and Koperasi Peserta-Peserta FELCRA Gugusan Lakai Negeri Sembilan Berhad (79th).

He added that his ministry will continue to cooperate with the Negeri Sembilan government to empower the entrepreneurship and cooperative sectors in the state through several committees, thus ensuring they benefit from the programmes provided by the government.

"This includes via existing coordination mechanisms, namely the National Entrepreneurship Development Council, the National Cooperative Consultative Council and the National Hawkers and Petty Traders Consultative Council,” he said.

-- BERNAMA