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Women Entrepreneurs Get RM116.8 Mln Assistance

KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 (Bernama) -- The Special Financial Assistance Scheme for Women Entrepreneurs has approved 1,793 projects with grants and loans totalling RM116.83 million as at March this year, said International Trade and Industry Minister, Datuk Mustapa Mohamed.

He said while these funds catered broadly to different segments of businesses, specific initiatives had been taken to further boost the women's participation in business.

"They involve facilitating start-ups, technology acquisition, market access, export promotion and adoption of information, communications and technology.

"Malaysia has, in its development plans, clearly identified specific programmes to enhance the development of women entrepreneurs and their participation in business as well as promote entrepreneurial activities," he said in his speech at the Business Networking Forum between International Women Entrepreneurs Association of Malaysia and the Business Women Entrepreneurs of Uzbekistan (BWEU).

The text of his speech was read by Small and Medium Industries Development Corp chief executive officer, Datuk Hafsah Hashim. Mustapa said there were several issues that hindered the women entrepreneurs, including obstructive social and cultural traditions and they should strive for more equitable participation.

"Much remains to be done for women to receive equitable access to education as they are faced with limited opportunities to develop technical and management skills," he said.

Mustapa said the two associations should start their own e-group for networking to take them beyond this forum and use it as a platform to share best practices to promote successful women-led businesses.

He said of the 548,307 small and medium enterprises in Malaysia, women held 15 percent, or 82,911 establishments. "Of the figure, 90 percent of them are in the services sector, followed by 7.5 percent in the manufacturing and three percent in the agriculture," he said.

Meanwhile, at a media briefing, Hafsah urged Malaysian businesswomen to take advantage of the five-year free corporate tax initiative offered by Uzbekistan for foreign entities that set up joint-ventures there.

"Among the opportunities in the Central Asian country will be in the services sector, including construction, architecture and interior design," he said. BWEU chairman, Mirodilova Nasiba, said Uzbekistan's consumer sector offered plenty of opportunities, especially in the halal industry. -- BERNAMA

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