Johor youth, sports, entrepreneur development, cooperatives, and human resources committee chairman Mohd Hairi Mad Shah said the allocation was expected to enable 30 cooperatives to take their businesses to an international level.“The grant was given to SMEs that were badly affected by the pandemic and 299 cooperatives have benefited.
“This year, we want these businesses to expand their reach so they can earn more income,” Mohd Hairi said after the grant handover to Johor SKM director Fadilah Salim in Iskandar Puteri.“From the RM1.7mil allocation, RM1.5mil will be given to the cooperatives that met the SKM requirements for them. “They can use the funds to create a new downstream product or set up a new branch to create more job opportunities.The remaining RM200,000 will be given to the SMEs that planned to get the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point , Food Safety Industry Responsibility , and Good Manufacturing Practices certifications, he said.“Some of the products by the local cooperatives have that capacity and the state government thinks that these businesses should be given a chance to go beyond Johor.
The 1,462 cooperatives in the state represent 463,000 members, making it the third largest cooperative in the country after those in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.