KUCHING: A total of 879 youths in Sarawak have benefited from the Tunas Usahawan Belia Bumiputera (TUBE) initiative, implemented by the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, through SME Corporation Malaysia (SME Corp).
Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said that TUBE had created over 1,691 job opportunities and generated cumulative sales exceeding RM13.65 million.
“In addition to the TUBE, SME Corp also provides a range of financial and non-financial support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), including initiatives targeted at youth entrepreneurs, to help them start and grow their businesses.
“These include the Tunas-i; the Bumiputera MSMEs Financing Initiative (BMFI) @ BEEP; and the Bumiputera Export Incentives (GEB),” he said during the launch of TUBE 11, here, today.
He added that, to date, a total of 5,055 MSMEs in Sarawak have benefited from these initiatives, with a total assistance value of RM20 million.
He expressed hope that SME Corp would remain committed to driving entrepreneurial initiatives in Sarawak, particularly in areas such as the commercialisation of SCORE 2.0, improving market access, and facilitating international business matching through the Sarawak Connect platform.
Meanwhile, SME Corp, in a statement, said that a total of 61 Bumiputera youths from Sarawak are participating in TUBE 11, which runs from today until May 28.
In addition to offering business start-up grants of up to RM15,000, TUBE is designed to cultivate entrepreneurial spirit and instill resilience, discipline, and leadership among young business owners.
Its latest edition features enhanced content, focused on artificial intelligence (AI), digitalisation and the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles.
Since its inception in 2014, TUBE has disbursed RM125.84 million in business grants, and trained 8,653 youths nationwide, including RM12.65 million in grants which have benefitted Sarawakian youths.
