Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the package is an incentive scheme to provide business event planners with additional financial and in-kind support for business events hosted from 2020-2022. – Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING (May 26): The Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Ministry will continue its Business Event Planners Incentivised Packages (BEPIP) this year.
Its minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah explained that BEPIP is an incentive scheme to provide business event planners with additional financial and in-kind support for business events hosted from 2020-2022. A total amount of approximately RM 1.84 million had been granted to several events.
Since BEPIP launching, the Ministry has seen evidence of good business retention with very low event cancellations, more secured events, and excellent development of homegrown events, he said in his ministerial winding up speech in the state legislative assembly (DUN) yesterday.
“My Ministry will continue to support highly potential festivals and events which could help to boost the tourism industry by increasing the number of arrivals into Sarawak through events grant.”
“A total of 32 events were supported by my Ministry in 2021 amounting to RM6.25 million. For the first time, the annual national event, Citrawarna was held in Sarawak at Kuching Waterfront from 24-27 Feb, 2022. The national arts and culture celebration brought thousands of visitors to Kuching and it was a great success under the watchful eyes of the necessary SOPs (standard operating procedures).”
He added that after two years of the pandemic many iconic events have scheduled to return. Among those events supported by the Ministry are; Pesta Babulang dan Lumba Kerbau (June 3-4); Sibu International Dance Festival (June 9-11); Sarawak Spartan Race (June 11-12); Rainforest World Music Festival (June 17-19); Borneo Jazz Festival (June 24-26); Borneo Cultural Festival (July19-23); Sri Aman Tidal Bore Festival (Sept 9-11); Kuching Marathon (Oct 2); 8th Sarawak International Dragon Boat Regatta (Oct 28-30); Sarawak Regatta (Nov 4-6); and Miri Marathon (Nov 6).
For 2022, he said his Ministry has supported a total of 21 events and festivals with a total allocation of RM6.5 million so far.
In addition, the Ministry also supports the creative industry players in the field of film and music, and the total allocation approved was RM883,175 to produce telemovies, documentaries and music videos.