Kuskop proposes expanding diesel subsidies, CoopMart in Sara, business schools, and e-commerce hubs to boost cooperatives nationwide.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (KUSKOP) has outlined four key proposals to strengthen the role of cooperatives in the national economy, including addressing cost-of-living pressures and the impact of the global supply crisis.
Its Minister, Steven Sim Chee Keong, said among the key proposals is to expand the use of diesel and petrol subsidies to cooperatives that support daily operations, such as logistics, transportation and rural economic activities.
“The vehicles involved include utility vehicles such as pickup trucks, power generators (gensets) and passenger boats.
“The meeting has discussed this matter, and we will forward the proposal paper to the government for further consideration,” he told reporters after attending the National Cooperative Consultative Council (MPKK) Meeting, which KUSKOP secretary-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud also attended.
The meeting also involved top management from the ministry, departments and agencies under KUSKOP, as well as 46 representatives from various parties.
In addition, KUSKOP also proposed increasing the participation of cooperative retail shops or CoopMart in the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) Programme to make it easier for the people, especially those in rural areas, to obtain essential items.
According to Sim, about 240 cooperatives are currently involved as SARA stores, and the ministry is targeting more cooperatives to participate in the programme with support from improvements in digital systems, such as point-of-sale (POS).
He said the third proposal involves the implementation of a ‘Business School in School’ programme, which will be launched in June at selected secondary schools, aimed at providing early exposure to students on business and cooperatives.
“Students will not only obtain marks under the Physical Activity, Sports and Co-Curriculum Assessment (PAJSK) for merit points, but also receive certificates from Universiti Keusahawanan Koperasi Malaysia (UKKM),” he said.
Meanwhile, Sim said the fourth proposal is to expand the role of cooperatives as self-collection centres for e-commerce platforms, targeting at least 100 cooperatives to be involved this year through collaboration with Shopee.
He said the initiative would not only strengthen the involvement of cooperatives in the digital economy but also has the potential to generate additional income of between RM300 and RM1,000 a month, depending on the scale of operations.
Commenting on the role of cooperatives in addressing the cost of living, he said the ministry is formulating measures to activate a network of about 2,600 coopeative stores nationwide to help stabilise the prices of goods, adding that an announcement will be made soon.
In a related development, the Malaysian Cooperative Commission (SKM) also signed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Smart Stream Resources Sdn Bhd (SMART), Boustead Petroleum Marketing Sdn Bhd (BHPetrol) and Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) to strengthen the role of cooperatives in the energy and palm oil sectors.
Earlier, SKM also signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with INCEIF University and ISRA Institute to develop a Syariah-compliant cooperative framework or i-CORES (Islamic Cooperative Resilient & Ethical Scheme) with the Islamic Economics Research and Innovation Fund (IERIF).
