Desa Mall exceeds early target of registering 5,000 products for e-commerce  

KUCHING (Aug 13): The Desa Mall e-commerce system has surpassed the initial target set by the Regional and Rural Development Ministry (KKDW) of registering 5,000 products on online platforms.

As of this month, it has registered 5,727 products, said deputy minister Datuk Rubiah Wang.

“The Desa Mall e-commerce system is a success. It raises awareness among the rural entrepreneurs of the importance of the current technological advancements in improving product marketing and increasing their incomes.

“Their products are available not only on the ministry’s platform, the Desa Mall, but through strategic partnerships, they are also on Lazada, Shopee and My Mall, among other e-commerce sites.

“The core objective is for the rural entrepreneurs’ products to reach broader markets,” she said during a press conference on the Rural Entrepreneurs Digitalisation Programme (PPU), at Penview Convention Centre (PCC) in Demak here yesterday.

In addition, the Kota Samarahan MP also spoke about the collaboration with several banking institutions such as Bank Islam, Bank Simpanan Nasional and Maybank, in providing financing facilities to rural entrepreneurs.

“Such exposure and financial support can help entrepreneurs develop both the quantity and the quality of their products; thus expanding their market reach.”

Moreover, Rubiah said KKDW has made available various programmes meant to enhance the competitiveness of entrepreneurs, among them training in digitalisation.

On a related matter, she said her ministry was updating its ‘dashboard’ by listing out the rural entrepreneurs in Sarawak having registered and received guidance from the agencies under the KKDW including Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara), Community Development Department (Kemas), Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda), Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Felcra), and also Chamber of Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneurs (DUBS).

Meanwhile, on another relevant topic, Rubiah revealed that more than 85 per cent of rural entrepreneurs registered with Mara were classified as ‘PICO’ (scale) under the enterprise category.

According to her, the 85 per cent represented 67,508 active rural entrepreneurs.

“PICO refers to entrepreneurs with annual sales of below RM60,000 – not monthly, but annually.

“The term ‘NANO’ represents those reporting annual sales of RM60,000 to RM150,000, while ‘MICRO’ is used to described any SME (small-medium enterprise) with annual sales of RM150,000 to RM300,000.

On the PPU, Rubiah said it had received positive feedback from the National Audit Department, as well as from majority of rural entrepreneurs.

“We hope to continue this programme in the future, to open doors for other rural entrepreneurs to gain knowledge, particularly in enhancing their businesses,” she added.

Also present at the press conference were the KKDW Community Economic Development Division secretary Mohd Sabri Ramly, and KKDW Sarawak director Mohd Syafiq Anas Abdullah.