Risda To Strengthen Entrepreneurs Clubs

PORT DICKSON, March 2 (Bernama) -- Risda will strengthen its entrepreneurs clubs nationwide in line with the government's intention to enhance Bumiputera participation in the economy.

In this regard, the rubber industry smallholders development authority would ensure the Risda Entrepeneurs Club (RisEC) be set up in each state, Risda chairman Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Chik said today.

"To date, 11 states have already set up RisEC.

"The objective is to build a collaborative network among all in a move to unify all Risda entrepreneurs and draw up an more organised and systematic implementation plan to develop smallholder entrepreneurs.

"There are four categories of Risda entrepreneurs, namely cadet for those with annual sales of

RM14,400, micro (RM14,400-RM200,000), small (RM200,00-RM1 million) and medium (RM1 million-RM5 million).

"Entrepreneurs eligible to join RisEC must be those from the micro category," he told reporters after launching the Negeri Sembilan RisEC here today.

He said the Entrepreneurs Consultative Council and National Risda Entrepreneurs Club had been set up on Dec 24 last year to coordinate the entrepreneurs' activity besides giving them the opportunity to interact with each other.

Rahim said that this year, Risda hopes to bring successful smallholder entrepreneurs to the global market.

"Risda will organise various programmes to promote the development of smallholder entrepreneurs in the business world such as on the entrepreneurial culture, value added product, and marketing and promotion.

"Risda also provides more opportunities for smallholders to be directly and actively involved in the upstream and downstream of the rubber industry.

"For example at the upstream level, the smallholders can supply seeds and fertilizer to other smallholders while at the downstream level, they can be involved in rubber marketing and processing.

"Risda's goal is to produce 10,000 entrepreneurs among viable smallholders by 2015," he said.

Rahim said that to assist smallholders to raise their income, Risda provides aid in the form of capital under the additional economic activity programme and loans through the smallholder socio-economic fund.

He said Risda had allocated RM4.4 million for the entrepreneur development programme.

"Several incentives are also provided to the entrepreneurs under RisEC," he said.

Meanwhile, he suggested the setting up of a young generation club where entrepreneurial values would be instilled in young people so that would not migrate to town.

"We have to accept the fact that we need a younger generation in the country's rubber industry to bring the industry forward," he said.

At the function, Rahim donated RM91,000 to 99 non-governmental organisations in Negeri Sembilan including the Negeri Sembilan Press Club which received RM5,000.

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