Carnival encourages growth of cooperatives in Kudat

24 Sept 2023

By AVV

KOTA KINABALU: A good public turn out at the inaugural District-level Cooperative and Entrepreneur Mini Carnival in Kudat 2023.

The carnival's participation's turn out enhanced the festive atmosphere and illustrates close cooperation between cooperatives and entrepreneurs in the district.

With the cooperation and unity among cooperatives and entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship can thrive for development and growth of cooperatives in the Kudat and Kota Marudu districts, and especially in Sabah as a whole.

Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (MEDAC) Datuk Ewon Benedick in his speech said this carnival aimed to accord entrepreneurs venues to sell their wares and enjoy networking among them, while broadening their scope of business.

He said continuous efforts would be strategically implemented to ensure the cooperative sector remained competitive and sustainable.

Industry players needed to establish and expand innovative business networks in the market, as well as discover new sources that could add value to existing products and services, he said.

To boost the cooperative sector in Sabah, all cooperatives were advised to seek professional guidance and support from the Malaysian Cooperative Commission this year, he said adding that by doing so, they could access development assistance in the form of the SKM program or revolving capital financing.

This financial aid would enable cooperatives to enhance their business activities and align with the goals outlined in the Malaysian Cooperative Transformation Plan for 2021-2025.

For entrepreneurs they were encouraged to leverage the expertise of various agencies such as TEKUN, SME Corp, SME Bank, Bank Rakyat, and Coopbank under the Ministry.

These agencies provide services to ensure the sustainability of businesses across the region.

Ewon later interacted with the cooperative participants selling their wares at the Tomborungus Tamu.