KUALA LUMPUR, The Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry will extend the B40 Empowerment Strategy-Be Your Own Boss (BEST-BYOB) programme to students of institutions of higher learning (IPTs) starting next year.

Its Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick said that his ministry welcomes the participation of IPT students from asnaf and B40 groups to be trained in the programme to become pre-franchise business entrepreneurs.

“Our vision is to produce more entrepreneurs among students who will choose entrepreneurship as their first career choice,” he told reporters at the BEST-BYOB 2024 launch ceremony today.

Also present were Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Saraswathy Kandasami, Perbadanan Nasional Berhad (Pernas) Franchise Development Division general manager Mazlan Ibrahim and RHB Islamic Bank Berhad managing director and chief executive Datuk Adissadikin Ali.

Ewon said BEST-BYOB 2024 was enhanced by the provision of business capital funds amounting to RM1 million and targeting 100 participants.

He also said that BEST-BYOB 2024 is a comprehensive and competitive entrepreneurship programme which includes aspects of structured business training, business matching opportunities, guidance and the provision of business capital.

He added that participants, upon completing business training under the BEST-BYOB 2024, will be matched with a pre-franchisor and then given business guidance within the first six months of their business operation.

“Last year, the BEST-BYOB 2023 has succeeded in improving the living standards of the majority of the participants who came from the asnaf and B40 groups and have now been able to generate sustainable income while improving their financial well-being,” he said.

Ewon said a total of 41 entrepreneurs had participated in the first edition of the program in 2023 and 23 of them had started businesses.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency