Kuala Lumpur: All 325 entrepreneurship and development programmes for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), with an allocation of RM33.8 billion under Budget 2024, have been successfully reported, according to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, this milestone highlights the effectiveness of the Secretariat Meeting of the National Entrepreneurs and MSME Development Council (SEK-MPUPK), which aimed for comprehensive reporting under the SME Integrated Plan of Action (SMEIPA). Ahmad Zahid emphasized that SMEIPA serves as a crucial framework for coordinating, monitoring, and evaluating the implementation of MSME initiatives across various ministries and agencies.

Ahmad Zahid also noted that SMEIPA reporting for 2024 saw full participation from all 13 state governments, marking a significant achievement since the plan's inception in 2006. He credited the success to the ongoing efforts through SEK-MPUPK meetings held throughout the previous year, which ensured more integrated and coordinated entrepreneurship programmes coupled with comprehensive reporting.

As the chairman of MPUPK, Ahmad Zahid expressed his commitment to enhancing the entrepreneurship ecosystem and MSME development in Malaysia. He emphasized the importance of strategic and comprehensive initiatives for the country's economic well-being.

In a previous statement last August, Ahmad Zahid mandated that all state governments, ministries, and agencies involved in entrepreneurship and MSME development report the achievements of their respective programmes. This directive aims to minimize programme duplication among agencies and reduce government resource wastage.