Mohd Hairi (with microphone) chairing the meeting with Johor State Entrepreneur Development Council.
Johor government will streamline all benefits and incentives provided to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the state through the Entrepreneurs Data Centre (Padu) system starting next year.
State youth, sports, entrepreneur development and cooperatives committee chairman Mohd Hairi Mad Shah said the decision followed investigations by Perbadanan Usahawan Johor Sdn Bhd (PUJB), which revealed instances of some SMEs receiving one-off benefits multiple times.
“There have been reports of owners receiving support up to three times from different federal and state government agencies.
“The additional aid could have been used to help other SMEs in need.
“Although these cases are rare, we need a strict, fair approach to ensure no single SME receives multiple aid from various agencies.
“This way, we can assist more small businesses in need,” he told StarMetro.
Mohd Hairi added that 63,000 businesses were currently registered under Padu, with 57,000 of them being SMEs.
PUJB will collaborate with Johor State Entrepreneur Development Council to better manage and identify the types of aid and businesses to support in the future, he said.
Currently, there are 43 state and federal agencies under the entrepreneur development council, aside from private sector participation.
In addition to streamlining state aid for SMEs, PUJB through Padu will also organise events and programmes more effectively to avoid overlap, according to Mohd Hairi.
“We recently received complaints about six food festivals and events being held simultaneously in various parts of Johor Baru.
“This spreads the target market too thin, leaving some businesses unable to make a profit.
“With PUJB overseeing future programmes, we aim to ensure better organisation and more strategic scheduling so SMEs can benefit fully,” he said.
When asked whether the state planned to capitalise on Malaysia’s role as Asean chair next year, Mohd Hairi confirmed that the entrepreneur development council was exploring opportunities.
“This will be an excellent chance for local businesses to gain international exposure.”
