KUCHING: Cooperative Institute Malaysia (CIM) has urged all small and medium cooperatives in Sarawak to fully utilise information technology to advance their businesses.
Deputy director-general of human capital development Ramlan Kamsin said utilising information technology would enhance productivity.
“Cooperatives should not remain in their comfort zone and I think it is high time for all cooperatives, especially in Sarawak, to take the huge leap forward.
“This is necessary to create higher value economy and this is where all entrepreneurs can participate,” he said after officiating at an ‘Intellectual Discourse Industrial Revolution 4.0: Ringgit Malaysia 24-hr Secret Transaction’ programme held at Imperial Hotel here yesterday.
He said the contribution of cooperatives would increase the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and reduce the role of middlemen.
“In the context of cooperatives, the power is in our hands to fix a reasonable price according to the quality and consumption warranty.
“For example, our Million Ringgit Coop League programme (MiRiCLe) is one of the initiatives to assist SMEs in doing the right business to reap the benefits of the new industrial revolution age,” he added.
Noting that there was a need to rejuvenate passive cooperative movement, he added that the cooperative movement was not only about profit but a platform to develop socio-economy.
“Cooperatives do not aim solely at making profit. I believe social entrepreneurship is one of the keys to create a conducive growth that will benefit our society’s wellbeing as a whole.
“Therefore, by offering tax exemption, I hope this initiative would encourage entrepreneurs to venture into new areas and expand their existing activities to gain control of a wider segment of the market.
“The lack of cooperation between cooperatives would not open up new opportunities, so that is why we need a huge effort from each of our members to go further,” he said
