KUCHING: A total of RM4.39bil has been spent through the Tekun Niaga scheme in assisting 460,626 hawkers and traders nationwide.
Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said Tekun had also provided additional financing schemes to assist entrepreneurs affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Covid Business Recovery Micro (CBRM), which is considered very popular among traders, with an allocation of RM200mil under Prihatin, has helped a total of 26,123 entrepreneurs.
“Meanwhile, the Tekun Business Recovery Scheme (TBRS) has funded 8,435 entrepreneurs with a total of RM56.73mil approved.
“To date, a total of 623,078 loans amounting to RM6.16bil has been channelled to entrepreneurs, including hawkers and small-medium businesses,” he explained, in response to a question from Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin at the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Aug 25).
Wan Junaidi said a total of RM668.4mil was channelled for 95,907 loans through the Teman Tekun Financing Scheme.
He explained that other financing schemes provided included the Kontrak-i Financing Scheme to finance contracts and supplies channelled to 9,864 financing worth RM531.1mil and the Indian Community Entrepreneur Development Scheme (SPUMI) involving 22,135 financing amounting to RM313.7mil.
Wan Junaidi added that he had instructed his ministry to conduct a study on the total number of unregistered traders throughout the country.
He said they must be registered in order to get the funding provided. He estimated there were almost one million unregistered traders throughout the country; almost 80 percent were Bumiputeras while the rest were Indians and Chinese.
