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Ministry Asks More Funds For Groom Big Programme
PUTRAJAYA, Feb 17 (Bernama) -- Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Ministry will seek more funds for the "Groom Big" programme this year for more local products to penetrate a wider market such as hypermarkets and for export.
Minister Datuk Noh Omar said though a lot of high quality local products were produced, lack of branding and attractive packaging have rendered the products not marketable.
Through the "Groom Big" programme, the products would be given assistance to upgrade their quality, particularly packaging, labelling and branding with the cooperation of Sirim Bhd, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) and Forest Research Institute Malaysia FRIM).
"The allocation for this year is only RM2 million but we will ask the SME Bank and other banks to disburse loans to entrepreneurs intending to participate in the programme," he told reporters after opening an advertising programme for entrepreneurs on Tuesday.
For the benefit of participating entrepreneurs, he said, his ministry, with the cooperation of cooperatives, would set up collection centres which would gather the local products, which have not been branded, to be given assistance.
On the entrepreneurs' advertising programme, Noh said the programme, which provides half of the financing for the advertising cost, would benefit 1,000 entrepreneurs to promote their products.
He said the programme would indirectly encourage the "Buy Made-In-Malaysia Products" campaign when more Malaysian goods were promoted.
It is also a form of government assistance to entrepreneurs to tide over with the bleak economic outlook, he said.
Noh said the ministry aimed for 30 per cent higher sales through the "Groom Big" programme in cash and contract sales.
Last year, cash sales totalled RM20 million and contract sales RM41 million, he added.
-- BERNAMA |
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