TEKUN Nasional disbursed RM52 million to 2,400 Johor entrepreneurs, with 64% of recipients being women, making Johor the third-highest nationwide.
JOHOR BAHRU: The National Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund (TEKUN Nasional) disbursed RM52 million in financing to 2,400 entrepreneurs in Johor between Jan 1 and May 31 this year, making the state the third-largest recipient of the agency’s financing nationwide.
In a statement today, the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (KUSKOP) said 64% of the financing recipients were women entrepreneurs, underscoring their important role in entrepreneurship and their contribution as one of the key drivers of the country’s economic growth.
“Most TEKUN financing recipients in Johor are involved in the services sector, comprising 1,183 entrepreneurs, followed by retail (669), manufacturing (260), small-scale contractors (234), and agriculture and agro-based industries (54),” it said.
The figures were disclosed by Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Steven Sim during a recent meet-and-greet session with about 400 TEKUN entrepreneurs in Johor.
Sim, in the same statement, said the majority of TEKUN entrepreneurs are micro-entrepreneurs and community-based entrepreneurs, who form one of the backbones of the people’s economy, in line with Malaysia’s business landscape, where nearly 80% of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are micro-enterprises.
He added that TEKUN financing not only provides business capital but also enables entrepreneurs to adopt new technologies, enhance their business capabilities and improve productivity.
He also expressed appreciation to TEKUN entrepreneurs for their dedication to growing their businesses and improving their families’ well-being, while contributing as one of the driving forces of the people’s economy and the nation’s economic growth.
Sim said KUSKOP provides a comprehensive entrepreneurship ecosystem, encompassing microfinancing through TEKUN Nasional and Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM), growth financing through SME Corp Malaysia, SME Bank and Bank Rakyat, as well as training and capacity-building programmes through the National Entrepreneurship Institute, the Cooperative Institute of Malaysia and various other agencies under the ministry.
“With the development of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), improvements in infrastructure and the inflow of new investments, Johor is well-positioned to emerge as a new growth hub for the country.
“These developments are expected to create more opportunities for local companies to expand into larger, more productive and competitive businesses at both the national and international levels,” he said.
