RM1.4b to bolster Bumi agenda
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES: Fund allocated through SME Bank, Tekun and Teraju, among others
SOME RM1.4 billion has been allocated under the 2017 Budget to bolster the Bumiputera agenda.
Of this, SME Bank Bhd received RM100 million to further increase opportunities for Bumiputera entrepreneurs, while RM300 million was given to Tekun to assist smallscale entrepreneurs.
Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Bhd was allocated RM200 million, while Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) received RM120 millon for various entrepreneurship programmes.
Unit Peneraju Agenda Bumiputera (Teraju) was given a facilitation fund of RM500 million to assist Bumiputera companies to expand or start a new one.
The budget also allocated RM100 million for Export Fund under Teraju for Bumiputera companies to penetrate into international markets.
Another RM100 million is to be channelled through Yayasan Peneraju
Pendidikan Bumiputera, for Peneraju Skil dan Iltizam, Peneraju Professional as well as Peneraju Tunas
programmes.
In underlining the programmes’ achievements, Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Razak invited some successful entrepreneurs to the budget tabling at the Parliament yesterday.
“With us, in this august House are two individuals who have benefitted from the Yayasan Peneraju Pendidikan Bumiputera. They are successful in the six-star hotel and architecture sectors. Congratulation and a round of applause to Miss Denilia and Mr Syahmi.”
In his op-ed for the New Straits Times back in July this year, Teraju chief executive officer Datuk Husni Salleh said non-Bumiputeras made up about 70 per cent of businesses today, but when it comes to people employed, Bumiputeras made up 70 per cent, thus extra help for Bumiputeras was needed.
“There’s a mismatch there, which can affect the composition of senior and mid-level management in these organisations,” he said.
“One of the programmes we came up with was Teras, a scheme to develop high-performing Bumiputera companies, launched in 2011. Teras enables participating companies to gain access to new business opportunities, funding, talent supply as well as coordination of ancillary business advisory services from government agencies,” he said then.