KUALA PENYU: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the State are advised to take advantage of the SME tour or festival programmes, in addition to making use of the digital world to improve sales.
Plantation and Community Deputy Minister Datuk Hajah Siti Aminah Aching said the programmes give participants exposure to strategies to generate additional income, especially through online.
“SMEs need to seize the opportunity by using the latest technology in business with an approach to promoting, selling and marketing towards digitalisation,” she said after officiating the Small and Medium Enterprise and General Store programme, organised by the Medium Industries Online Entrepreneur Club (Kuatiks) at the Rumbia Kuala Penyu Information Centre, here.
According to Aminah who is also Beaufort MP, the festival is the best platform for SME entrepreneurs from all over Sabah, especially in the Beaufort parliamentary area, to introduce the products they produce and give them space to sell to the public to increase their source of income.
Aminah added that through IKS it can improve the community’s economy, especially for residents in rural areas and that many of these industries are established in rural areas in line with the concept of “One Village, One Product”.
“Aware of this fact, the Government has allocated funds to develop Small and Medium Industries (SMIs) which developed rapidly like mushrooms after rain because of the various benefits and the importance to the community and the country,” she said.
She said SMEs are the largest part of business organisations in all three sectors, namely agriculture, manufacturing and services.
“SMIs in the service sector are the largest category and most SMIs are involved in service subsectors such as retail, restaurants, wholesale and manufacturing.
“The level of SMI development is increasing and becoming one of the main contributors to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).” she said
In fact, according to her, the platform provided by the Government is proven to help entrepreneurs succeed.
“Through the efforts made by the Malaysian Foreign Trade Corporation (Matrade) and Malaysia International Halal Showcase (Mihas), the positive development of SMEs in exploring market opportunities at the global level gives the impression that the targeted planning in the SME Master Plan 2012-2020 which outlines the goals achieve the sector’s contribution to GDP can be realized,” she said.
Source: https://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news/207176/take-advantage-of-programmes-smes-told/