The Cooperative Commission of Malaysia (SKM) Sabah will be channeling an allocation of RM1.55 million to assist cooperatives in the state who are affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Its director, Matias Kundapin, said SKM Sabah’s approach in assisting the cooperatives will be conducted through three Cooperative Economic Rehabilitation intervention programs under the National People’s Well-Being and Economic Recovery Package (Pemulih).

He said the program was the government’s effort to help the cooperative movement in Malaysia which was also affected and will be conducted through the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative (MEDAC).

The three programs are Penubuhan Koperasi Prihatin Rakyat’ (KPR), Jualan Koperasi Prihatin Rakyat (JKPR) and Program Transformasi Ekonomi Gerakan Koperasi (TRANSFER).

According to Matias, SKM Sabah will be disbursing RM300,000 to assist the target group of affected entrepreneurs, those who lost their source of income and unemployed graduates to set up cooperatives.

“The cooperatives stand to receive a maximum of RM100,000 depending on the project they will be implementing,” he added.

For example, employees in the hotel sector who were laid off, can set up a cooperative with at least 20 members offering service related business, he said, adding that the cooperatives must have their working papers of the project ready for evaluation.

If approved, the allocation will be disbursed within three months, said Matias when officiating the Kedai Koperasi Wanita Dinazang Inovatif Kudat Berhad building in Kudat last week.

During the program, Matias handed out food baskets to members of Koperasi Wilayah Kudat who were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The corporate social responsibility (CSR) program was a collaboration between SKM Sabah, Angkasa and Co-Opbank’s first Sabah branch.

Under the JKPR program, SKM Sabah has channeled incentives totalling to RM255,000 to 14 cooperatives which are involved in retail of sundries in the state.

Matias said the cooperatives will receive an incentive of up to RM15,000 respectively to conduct sales programs in a few areas in the state, adding that the JKPR program has been done in Beaufort, Keningau, Tawau, all along the west coast to the northern part of Sabah, Labuan and Kudat.

Under this program, SKM gives a subsidy for the retail of sundry goods that are daily necessities such as rice, he explained.

Cooperatives in Sabah that are involved in the JKPR are Koperasi Warisan Wangkod Tamparuli Sabah Berhad; Koperasi Badan Dakwah Daerah Kudat Berhad; Koperasi Wawasan Rakyat Sabah Berhad; Koperasi Wanita Dinazang Inovatif Kudat Berhad; Koperasi Bersatu Kampung Suasa Beaufort Berhad; Koperasi Jaya Murni Beaufort Berhad; Koperasi Keluarga Syamsudin Bila Labuan Berhad; Koperasi Orang Asal Lanas Sook Keningau Berhad; Koperasi Kampung Bunga Raya Keningau Berhad; Koperasi Taburi Kota Belud Berhad; Koperasi Pukak Kiulu Tuaran Berhad; Koperasi Pembangunan Usahasama Masyarakat Maju Sabah Berhad; Koperasi Emas Tawau Sabah Berhad; and Koperasi Kampung Luanti Baru Keningau Berhad.

For the TRANSFER program, the allocation, Matias disclosed, is RM1 million and it focuses on cooperatives which were affected by the pandemic that want to expand their business or change their activities to one that are more suitable in order to maintain the cooperatives’ financial stability.

“For example, cooperatives involved in the tourism sector that are affected because the tourism sector is closed, but want to carry out other activities such as cultivating oil palm. They need capital to purchase seedlings as well as set up the infrastructure so SKM will provide grants to help the cooperatives continue their business operations in different economic sectors,” he explained.

SKM, he stressed, will provide the grants to help the cooperatives but they must follow the guidelines, terms, conditions and criteria set.

On the Koperasi Wanita Dinazang Inovatif Kudat Berhad, Matias said it was registered in 2012 and has 48 members.

It has been very active and showed high commitment, he said, adding that the cooperative’s hard work was rewarded by the RM60,000 shop lot that was obtained with SKM’s assistance.

During the event, Matias handed over food baskets to 120 members from seven cooperatives namely Koperasi Badan Dakwah Islam Daerah Kudat Berhad, Koperasi Keluarga Nohali Amdayung Kudat Berhad, Koperasi Tukad Kudat Berhad, Koperasi Jati Kampung Tampakan Kudat Berhad, Koperasi Wanita Dinazang Inovatif Kudat Berhad, Koperasi Pembangunan Tanah Kumbatang Kudat Berhad and Koperasi Matunggong Kudat Berhad.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by THE BORNEO POST

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]