KUCHING: Entrepreneurship is a viable avenue for the low income group to transform their lives, said Satok assemblyman Dato Ibrahim Baki.
With the necessary guidance and assistance rendered by the government, he said it will allow them to escape poverty especially following the impacts of Covid-19.
“The pandemic has affected a lot of businesses with some having to close down and some having to transform their means of doing business.
“Today, with this programme, the target is for the low-income group to be able to increase their income and escape poverty. We want to change their mindset.
“With the guidance of the State Development Office, and the initiatives of these entrepreneurs themselves, they can be successful,” he said in a statement today.
He highlighted this when officiating at the presentation of assistance for the programme to elevate the economy and wellbeing of eKasih households (uKasih) at Satok Sports Complex here today.
At the same time, Ibrahim said the Sarawak and Federal governments have continued to assist those affected by the pandemic through a number of assistance, initiatives and schemes.
“The Federal government, during the pandemic, was concerned with the fate of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and have set aside funds for this purpose.
Similarly, he added that the State government through the Bantuan Khas Sarawakku Sayang (BKSS) packages have introduced numerous discounts to ease the burden of Sarawakians.
“This is along with introducing waivers for rental fees (at state GLC premises) for businesses. We also introduced interest-free loans for SMEs,” he said.
On the programme, initiated by the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) under the Prime Minister’s Department, Deputy State Development director Abdul Halim Abang Naili emphasised that it was to assist entrepreneurs to increase their income through distribution of equipment and skills training.
A total of 30 Satok residents participated in the programme and received equipment which will be used to assist them in their businesses. — DayakDaily
