Proposal for micro-credit financing to be tabled at Cabinet meeting — Naroden

0

Naroden (2nd left) presenting a memento to Awang Tengah (3rd right). Others seen are (from 3rd left) Gerawat, Penguang and Dennis.

MARUDI: The Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development will be presenting to the state Cabinet for approval a proposed micro-credit financing system to ease financial constraints of fledgling contractors and entrepreneurs in the state.

Assistant Minister Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais yesterday said Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, would table the proposal to the cabinet soon.

“Under this scheme, you should be able to get RM1,000 to RM50,000 loan within two weeks after approval has been granted,” he told 125 C to F contractors and entrepreneurs in Marudi attending the opening ceremony of the ministry’s 10th Contractor Entrepreneur Symposium for Marudi District at Marudi Civic Centre yesterday.

He said the Sarawak Entrepreneur Micro-Credit which charges only two to four per cent interest rate is for entrepreneurs including small contractors, Bumiputera and non-Bumiputera, to assist them increase their working capital and in purchasing equipment to raise productivity and services.

He disclosed that a slew of projects would be rolled out by the GPS state government these two years, whereby each GPS assemblyman is allocated RM5 million under the Rural Transformation Programme (RTP) and RM3 million under the Minor Rural Project and each GPS member of Parliament is allocated RM5 million respectively.

This translates to about 50 to 100 projects for each assemblyman, he pointed out.

‘Give priority to those who have yet to win any projects instead of those who are already occupied so that each contractor would have two to five projects,” he told the assemblyman present.

He warned contractors against selling their projects for quick small gains.

“Say no to ‘Ali Baba’ or ‘Ali Mama’ contractors as it would tantamount to selling your dignity as a contractor and an entrepreneur for a mere five per cent commission,” he advised the contractors.

Also present were Awang Tengah, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing and Marudi assemblyman Datu Dr Penguang Manggil, deputy Speaker of State Legislative Assembly and Mulu assemblyman Dato Gerawat Gala, Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau, Marudi district officer Mackos Sibong, Marudi walikota Edward Mendai, community leaders and councillors.