KOTA KINABALU: Tabung Ekonomi Kumpulan Usaha Niaga or Tekun Nasional (National Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund) has channeled RM4.9 billion financial assistance to 395,753 entrepreneurs to date.
The figure from its inception in 1998 to August this year involved 516,851 loans, according to Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin.
From this total, RM408 million has been channeled to 40,405 entrepreneurs involving 50,173 loans in Sabah, he added.
Launching Tekun Nasional entrepreneurship basic seminar here, Yahya who is also State Agriculture and Food Industry Minister said these were not small numbers and showed the government’s commitment through the financing agency to assist Malay and Bumiputera entrepreneurs.
“For this year alone, Tekun Nasional has targeted funding RM500,000 to 40,000 entrepreneurs nationwide. And as of August, RM41.6 million has been channeled to 2,669 entrepreneurs across the country,” he said.
Yahya noted that since it has been in operation for 19 years, many successful businessmen were created in various fields, while the organisation at the same time continues to revamp its operations to remain relevant.
Speaking to the recipients here, Yahya said he was proud that they chose entrepreneurship as their career where it promotes self-employment and independence.
“I just want to remind you all not to forget repaying according to schedule, so that Tekun Nasional can continue helping more Bumiputera entrepreneurs with their business capital,” he said.