KLANG, Sept 9 — Yayasan Hijrah Selangor has for the first time launched the Celebr8.88% Skim Niaga Darul Ehsan (NaDI) Merdeka campaign to help women entrepreneurs expand their businesses.
State executive councillor for youth, sports, and entrepreneurship Mohd Najwan Halimi said that with a RM1 million allocation, the campaign, which began in August, offers a special profit rate as low as 8.8 per cent compared with the usual rate of 10 per cent.
“This campaign started on August 12, and we have received 55 applications involving financing worth RM541,000. Through this initiative, we are targeting to assist more than 100 women entrepreneurs by November.
“Among the applications received are from strategic sectors including agriculture, food and beverage, processing, services, supply, and livestock.
“With this financing, entrepreneurs can expand their businesses, boost enterprise performance, create job opportunities, and support the local economic ecosystem,” he said at the campaign's launch today.
During the event, Najwan also handed mock cheques to 10 women entrepreneurs who received the financing. All of them received financing at the special rate of 8.88 per cent, with amounts ranging from RM5,000 to RM10,000.
Meanwhile, goat breeder and spice seller B. Kanageshwari, 35, said the financing she received for the first time last year had a positive impact on her business.
“After receiving the first financing of RM5,000, my business began to grow and was no longer limited to just operating from home, and I also gained more customers. Now, the business is doing better, and I have started joining expos.
"This scheme is very good for entrepreneurs who want to expand their ventures,” she said.
For Siti Zubaidah Ruslan, 52, she intends to use the financing she received to learn alternative treatments in order to grow her business further.
“I started in the bridal services sector in 2016 and ventured into alternative treatments recently. The field of alternative treatments is quite broad, so it requires capital.
“At first, I was worried this financing might be a scam because it was easy to obtain, but thankfully, this scheme is worthwhile, and the repayments are also not burdensome,” she said.
For the record, Hijrah Selangor offers two financing schemes: i-Bisnes, which provides up to RM50,000, while NaDI offers up to RM50,000 specifically for groups of women entrepreneurs in Sabak Bernam, Kuala Selangor, Kuala Langat, and Hulu Selangor to expand their businesses.
