BUTTERWORTH: The Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry is set to launch a one-stop portal for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) entrepreneurs this month to streamline access to information on financing, training and government assistance programmes.
Its minister, Steven Sim Chee Keong, said the initiative was aimed at helping SMEs, particularly small entrepreneurs, to navigate the wide range of support schemes offered by multiple ministries and agencies.
“The government had allocated substantial resources for SMEs, including RM50bil under Budget 2026 and an additional RM10bil recently announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“That brings the total funding available for the SME sector to RM60bil. However, the challenge is that the resources are spread across many ministries and agencies, at least 50 to 60 of them.
“Through our engagement sessions, we found that some SMEs are unsure where to look for information on available funding, policies and programmes,” he said during his ministry's townhall session on Saturday (May 9).
Sim said his ministry had taken the initiative to develop a centralised portal that would serve as a single access point for SME-related information.
He said the portal, expected to be launched sometime in May, will provide information on grants, financing, training and other support services for SMEs.
He added that the focus of the portal is vital and its function as a comprehensive information hub for SMEs.
“One of the main complaints from SMEs is that they do not know which agencies to approach. Small traders often struggle because there are too many agencies involved," he said.
Earlier, Sim spent about two hours in the dialogue session organised by Penang Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM).
The town hall is part of the ministry’s efforts to engage directly with stakeholders and hear their concerns amid challenging economic conditions caused by the global supply crisis.
