Ewon wants KUSKOP’s success momentum to continue in 2023

23 December 2022

By Wartawan Nabalu News

KUALA LUMPUR: Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick wants the ministry’s success momentum through the 2022 Strategic Plan to continue next year.

He said, this is important to help entrepreneurs and cooperatives achieve success and further improve the socioeconomics of the people in this country.

"I appreciate the commitment of all officers and staff at the Ministry and Agency in ensuring that all initiatives and assistance to entrepreneurs and cooperatives can be delivered effectively.

"However, the success achieved under the 2022 Strategic Plan provides more challenges for us next year to ensure that this fully reopened economy can boost the business performance of entrepreneurs and cooperatives to a better level than the year before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"As the theme of the ministry's Strategic Plan 2023 is 'Progressive, Transformative and Responsive', I hope that we can maintain the momentum of this success to continue helping entrepreneurs and cooperatives to further invigorate their business activities and produce spillover effects to the socio-economic development of Malaysians," he said.

He said this while speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2023 KUSKOP Strategic Planning Retreat, at the Impiana KLCC Hotel, here, yesterday.

Also present were Ewon’s deputy Saraswathy Kandasami, the ministry’s Secretary General Dato' Sri Suriani Dato' Ahmad, Deputy Secretary General (Entrepreneurship Development) Datuk Haji Zamri Salleh and heads of the ministry's agencies.

Ewon said the ministry has set six Key Performance Indicators (KPI) that must be achieved by 2023.

"We aim for every individual who is trained to become an entrepreneur and contribute to the recovery, growth and stability Malaysian economy.

"I am confident that with the implementation of planning initiatives and interventions by the Ministry and Agencies, the KPI can be achieved, and further help entrepreneurs and cooperatives continue to thrive up to national and international levels.

"Therefore, continuous efforts are needed to help them generate income as well as restore and improve the economy, especially vulnerable groups and B40 who are greatly affected by COVID-19 or any changes that occur in the global economic landscape," he said.

Ewon said that among the focus of the implementation and priority of the target group in the entrepreneurship development initiative under the Ministry's 2023 Strategic Plan are the increase in technology adaptation among entrepreneurs and cooperatives.

"Regarding that, the Ministry and the Agency should ensure that this matter is prioritised especially in the implementation of programmes and interventions planned in 2023, including empowering service delivery through expanding the use of technology and digitization," he said.

Ewon also expressed his desire for social enterprises to be a vehicle for facilitating effective community and regional development.

"This is important so that the impact produced from the implementation of initiatives under the 2030 Social Entrepreneurship Action Plan (SEMy2030) will contribute to the country's inclusive, balanced and sustainable socio-economic development," he said.

Commenting on the retreat, Ewon said the programme is important because the outcome of this session will determine the ministry's first step in facing 2023.

Ewon also expressed his appreciation towards the Ministry and Agency team for jointly implementing initiatives and interventions that have been planned to help the development of entrepreneurs and cooperatives.

"It is hoped that its implementation can make Malaysia a superior entrepreneurial nation as desired under the 2030 National Entrepreneurship Policy," he said.