KUALA LUMPUR: Institut Keusahawanan Negara Bhd (Insken) aims to train and mentor 17,552 entrepreneurs through 13 programmes this year to enhance their competitiveness, says Datuk Seri R. Ramanan.
The Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister said the initiative aligns with the strategic plans of the ministry.
"To achieve this, Insken has strengthened cross-ministry, agency and industry collaborations in conducting training, mentoring and consultation programmes to empower informal and micro-entrepreneurs.
"It has also partnered with Protege through the 'Jom Jumpa Protege' programme, involving 3,482 participants, to expose higher education institution students to entrepreneurship," he said during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Negara Thursday (March 20).
He was responding to a question from Senator Datuk Seri Prof Emeritus Dr Awang Sariyan on Insken's plans to implement entrepreneurship mentoring programmes for all segments of society.
Ramanan said Insken is also implementing targeted cross-agency initiatives, such as the Malaysian Indian Community Entrepreneurship Programme, in collaboration with the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra).
Responding to a supplementary question on the success rate of these programmes, Ramanan said 60 participants had upgraded their business status from micro to small enterprises.
"For these mentoring programmes, total sales have increased by RM23mil, with 63% of the 815 participants achieving a minimum sales growth of 25%.
"As a result, 60 participants have successfully transitioned from micro to small enterprises," he said.
He added that Insken's funding is not merely financial assistance but part of a structured approach where entrepreneurs' progress is monitored from start to finish. - Bernama
