KUCHING: Entrepreneurship is a viable avenue for the less fortunate to transform their lives, said Satok assemblyman Dato Ibrahim Baki.
He said with the necessary guidance and assistances rendered by the government, it will allow them to escape poverty especially following the impacts of COVID-19.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has affected a lot of businesses, some had to close down due to the pandemic and some had 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 incomes 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.
He said this when officiating at the presentation of assistances 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 state and federal governments have continued to assist those affected by the pandemic through a number of assistances, 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 said the state government through the Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance (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.
At the same function, Deputy State Development Director Abdul Halim Abang Naili also spoke.
The programme, initiated by the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) under the Prime Minister’s Department 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.
