Mara pumps RM50m into fund to nurture women entrepreneurs

KANGAR: Mara has allocated RM50 million for its Dana Nita programme, specially for women who want to become entrepreneurs or start business this year.

Deputy director-general (entrepreneurship), Zulfikri Osman, said that under the programme, the maximum financial assistance given to each qualified applicant was RM50,000.

He said some RM5 million of the total allocation would be used to give courses and training to applicants before they submit their applications.

"The Dana Nita programme was launched following the proposal by Wanita Umno Malaysia at the Umno General Assembly held at the Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur, last year," Zulfikri told Bernama in Kangar, Perlis.

As for Perlis, he said Mara had set aside an allocation of RM15 million to help entrepreneurs in the state venture into business this year.

The allocation included financing, training and other activities related to entrepreneurship, he added.

"Perlis as a Malay state is synonymous with clothing and food business.

"In the long term, it will be among the states that are strategic as it is located at the international border.

"Mara is confident that the technopreneur sector has the potential to succeed in Perlis; it has many training and educational institutions, along with other agencies that enable entrepreneurs get formal training," said Zulfikri.

He said Mara, which is committed to helping bumiputra entrepreneurs, had formulated a long-term plan to ensure sustainability of the Malays in the state in business and entrepreneurship. - Bernama