By Wilfred Pilo
KUALA LUMPUR, March 2: Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan urges the federal government to create an ecosystem that could boost the involvement of Sarawak Bumiputera in entrepreneurship and the economy.
Awang Tengah, who is also the Minister for International Trade, Industry, and Investment Sarawak, said that the federal government needs to create a more holistic and pragmatic policy and regulatory framework to simplify administration and management.
“This includes facilitating and coordinating all forms of assistance, simplifying business management to reduce bureaucracy, and decentralising the approval of financing applications,” he said at the Bumiputera Economic Congress (KEB) 2024 in Kuala Lumpur today.
He also urged the federal government to create special incentives, such as venture capital, to be managed by the Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Council (DUBS).
In addition, he wanted the federal government to continue incentives for easy loans, subsidies, loan guarantees and grants, especially for entrepreneurs new to business.
“It will help to provide provision to the business premises, training skills, and access to marketing.
“This will help Sarawak Bumiputera entrepreneurs to penetrate the wide lucrative market and be able to meet requirements and regulations such as hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP), good manufacturing practices (GMP) Certification, and halal certification.
“Federal government must enact policies so that several components of large projects funded by them could be “Carved Out and Compete” among Sarawak Bumiputera contractors, starting from the planning stage to implementation,” he urged.
He pointed out that by getting involved in the new economy, the entrepreneurs can benefit on their own or in collaboration with non-Bumiputera entrepreneurs or international companies.
“Therefore, for Sarawak, the involvement of Bumiputera in entrepreneurship and economy still needs to be emphasised and improved,” he said.
He believed that through the congress, new ideas and resolutions could increase the involvement of Bumiputera in entrepreneurship.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his two deputies, Datuk Sri Zahid Hamid Hamidi and Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof were also present. — DayakDaily
