KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan hopes that the industrial estate in Limbang will be implemented starting next year.
“Now, we are in the process of land acquisition,” he said when officiating at the Jum Regista Bisnes Sarawakku Sayang Programme (Regista) in Limbang today.
Besides industrial estates, he said there were plans to establish more Anjung Usahawan in Limbang including one in Batu Danau.
“This is all for our small and medium enterprises (SMEs) here,” said the Minister of International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development.
He also hoped that by 2023, Limbang and Lawas would be connected to the State Grid, noting that currently the people were relying on the local grid and generators.
“If we can connect Limbang and Lawas to the State Grid, the people here can receive more stable electricity supply,” he said.
He stressed that in order for Sarawak to develop, infrastructures such as roads, bridges, and water and electricity supply needed to be focused on.
“For Limbang and Lawas, the state government will proceed with the proposed Pan Borneo Highway. Hopefully by next year we will start,” said Awang Tengah.
On another matter, he urged SMEs to register their businesses to ensure that they were not left out of assistances provided by the federal or state government.
He noted that the federal government had introduced various initiatives via the Prihatin and Penjana packages while the state government had assisted the people including SMEs via its four Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance (BKSS) packages.
Assistant Minister of Agriculture Native Land and Regional Development Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail and Assistant Minister of International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais in their speeches also urged SMEs to register their businesses.
“By having a licence or permit and having their company registered with the Inland Revenue Board (IRB), Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), district office, or the local council, SMEs will be eligible to receive assistance and follow programmes organised by government agencies,” said Naroden.
He said various programmes, grants, and so on were provided by the government for SMEs, including Sarawak Micro Credit Scheme (SKMS).
“Thus far, applications for SKMS in Limbang have amounted to RM3 million and more than 50 percent have been approved, with RM580,000 channelled so far,” he said.
He said there were still opportunities for SMEs in Limbang to apply for schemes such as SKMS or the Small and Medium Industries Loan Scheme (SPIKS), adding that this was on the condition that the SMEs were registered with permits or licences.
At the same time, he encouraged SMEs that there were always business opportunities around – “You just have to think of how to fulfil the demands and needs of people.”
Naroden pointed out that Limbang was close to Brunei, Lawas, and Sabah and could therefore tap into the markets there as well.
