PUTRAJAYA – The Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry said it will, optimistically, help some 25,000 small businesses nationwide go digital within one to two years, to ensure their survival in post-pandemic times.
Its minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said in a statement today that this was largely due to the multiplier effect the ministry expects to see from various programmes conducted by its agencies, the most recent being a collaboration between SMECorp and the Warong Riders delivery service via SMECorp’s Micro Connector Programme.
He said that under this programme, the ministry targets to have some 5,000 delivery riders joining the Warong Riders programme, which will be set up in all parliamentary constituencies across the country.
“The programme not only aims to provide job opportunities, but also enables these riders to serve as peer-to-peer counsellors, who will significantly help create awareness and help the migration process of “Mak Cik Kiah” businesses from traditional to digital.
“I think it is possible for one rider to potentially engage with five small businesses, and help explain and get them onboard the digitisation process,” he said.
Wan Junaidi said other agencies such as the National Entrepreneurship Institute (Insken) can provide training with the necessary awareness and skills enhancement programmes.
He said that Insken has, to date, helped train some 5,000 entrepreneurs to shift their brick-and-mortar business operations to digital via its online onboarding coaching programme.
The institute aims to help 5,900 entrepreneurs via several coaching programmes.
Wan Junaidi said the overall cost of helping small businesses go online would be huge, and the allocation given to the ministry and its agencies was not sufficient for it to carry out this challenging task alone.
He said the ministry was keen to work with other ministries on various programmes to help small businesses digitise their operations. – Bernama, December 13, 2020
