KUALA LUMPUR: The Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry has launched various initiatives to support entrepreneurs, benefiting tens of thousands of Indians nationwide, says Datuk Seri R. Ramanan.
The Deputy Minister highlighted programmes such as the Prosperity Empowerment and A New Normal for Indian Women (PENN) under Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia and the Bank Rakyat’s Indian Entrepreneur Financing-i (Brief-i).
"Over 10,000 individuals have benefitted from these initiatives. For instance, the PENN programme has provided more than RM20mil in financing to nearly 3,000 women entrepreneurs," he said.
"This programme is crucial as it supports entrepreneurs facing challenges like CCRIS, CTOS, or bankruptcy issues. A special fund of RM50mil has been allocated for this initiative."
He made these remarks during a luncheon with the Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister in conjunction with Deepavali celebrations on Wednesday (Oct 23).
Ramanan also noted that through the Brief-i initiative, loans totalling RM33.16mil have been granted to almost 400 Indian entrepreneurs so far.
"Considering this sum, there are still numerous entrepreneurs who can receive assistance moving forward," he added.
He also emphasised the media's vital role in nation-building, particularly in empowering Malaysia's Indian community, which numbers around three million.
During the event, Ramanan spent about an hour mingling with over 40 media practitioners from the Indian community and various agencies who are preparing to celebrate Deepavali at the end of this month. – Bernama
