By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 15: Sarawak is placing greater emphasis on developing young entrepreneurs who can independently manage and grow their businesses as the State seeks to strengthen its entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the ministry’s efforts include providing guidance, business information, access to financing through initiatives such as the newly launched SYStartUp Hub in Jalan Kulas here.
“We do not want entrepreneurs who aspire to become business owners merely to secure contracts, only to hand them over to other parties to execute once they have been awarded,” he said, according to a TVS news report, at the opening ceremony of the SYStartUp Sarawak Entrepreneurs Association Hub.
He added the government also provided support through financing schemes and collaborations with established companies to help young entrepreneurs expand their businesses. Efforts were also being made to collaborate with Affin Bank and other relevant parties to facilitate access to grants or loans.
“When banks see that they are too young and lack experience, they are reluctant to extend loans. However, when they have gone through programmes such as this, with the ministry’s support, it can help them secure financing,” he said.
Meanwhile, on the newly launched SYStartUp Hub, Abdul Karim said the hub would serve as a platform for young entrepreneurs to connect and obtain information on programmes offered by the ministry.
“Our database already contains a number of aspiring entrepreneurs. This is where they can meet, maintain their data and obtain information from the ministry,” he said.
He said the establishment of the hub followed the implementation of Cohort 1, Cohort 2 and Cohort 3 of the entrepreneurship programme, which aimed to guide more young people into the field.
The hub could potentially be expanded to other zones, allowing programme participants to stay connected, exchange information and obtain guidance to improve their business performance, he added. – DayakDaily
