Kota Kinabalu: There are various business chambers that are always ready to help and assist entrepreneurs in the State, said Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe.
He said other than Sabah Entrepreneurs Transformation (SET), there are other chambers like the Federation of Sabah Industries (FSI), which are ready to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses.
Phoong added that his ministry is also always prepared and ready to work with industry leaders to provide assistance.
So with the chambers, Phoong said entrepreneurs in the State could seek assistance to grow their businesses.
SPONSORED CONTENT 800 expected at Sabah CEO Master Class 2024 on August 8 Kota Kinabalu: Wish to know and learn meaningful lessons and entrepreneurial journeys from giant business owners who also faced various hard challenges and succeeded in overcoming them? . Read more He said the budget for the SME programme for 2021 and 2022 was only RM10 million, but the budget had been increased to RM15 million in 2023.
According to Phoong, even though the budget was insufficient, this showed the government is always ready to help the entrepreneurs in the State.
He was speaking at the grand final of the Pitching Competition on Saturday.
About the competition, Phoong said it was only the beginning for the ten finalists to grow their businesses.
“There is no failure and no looser... If you end up in the tenth or eighth place, that does not mean your business is not good because it is only the beginning and you have a long journey to go.
“This Pitching competition would create a platform for you to learn from the seniors in the entrepreneur industry.
“So, you never give up, but just continue your effort in growing what you have started,” said Phoong.
The top five players in the Pitching Competition were Mable Wong, Isabel Lo, Ku Gee Perng, Khor Kah Shiong and Felix Liewhan, and each of them received RM10,000 in cash.
Five other finalists in the Pitching Competition were Wilson Lim, Brandon Lo, Jasper Tai, Kelvin Dale and Jerry Jasing.
Also present at the event were SET Founding President Datuk George Lim and family members and friends of the finalists.
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