BUKIT MERTAJAM: Businesses nationwide can now get support closer to home with 222 National Information Dissemination Centres (Nadi) serving as Madani Inclusive Entrepreneur Reference Centres (PRIME), says Steven Sim (pic).
The Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister said PRIME aims to give business owners easy access to information and assistance without visiting government offices.
“PRIME is, in simple terms, a one-stop centre. If entrepreneurs have problems or questions, want to seek funding, ask about licences, attend courses or learn how to apply artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalisation in their businesses, they can come to the PRIME centre at Nadi.
“They can also seek information on financial management and entrepreneurship programmes instead of having to look for it everywhere,” he said at the launch of PRIME @ Nadi Machang Bubok in Alma yesterday.
Sim said the initiative was part of the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry’s (Kuskop) mission to “make Malaysian businesses great”.
He said the ministry’s four strategies were to increase productivity, reduce or remove bureaucracy, improve access to business capital and expand access to markets.
“Businesses need higher productivity because they cannot keep competing on price. Traders often find dealing with government bodies and securing loans difficult, while also facing limited market access and intense competition,” he said.
Sim said the ministry had channelled RM9bil to 250,000 entrepreneurs nationwide over the past seven months.
“This is real, the RM9bil is now circulating in the market and 250,000 entrepreneurs have benefited directly.”
Sim also called for continuous training for Nadi officers involved in PRIME so they could keep up with new programmes and issues affecting entrepreneurs.
“A Nadi officer cannot know everything or solve every problem. But the service provided must be courteous, respectful and professional,” he added.
Sim said the government wanted to eventually make more services accessible online, citing the recent move by the National Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund (Tekun) to allow entrepreneurs to apply online instead of visiting its offices.
“You focus on your business and if you have a question, come to Nadi and ask our officers,” he said.
Sim said the initiative was expected to reach between 30,000 and 50,000 potential entrepreneurs nationwide by the end of the year.
