Assistant Industrial Development Minister Bolkiah Ismail said the sector provided 451,021 jobs in 2015, up from 324,438 in the year 2010, citing numbers from the Department of Statistics Malaysia.
According to Bolkiah, the government had successfully implemented entrepreneurship and output programmes for SMI entrepreneurs.
“In 2017, the government has implemented a special SMI assistance programme to improve the capability and output of Sabah entrepreneurs,” he said during a question-and-answer session.
“In that year, we provided machine assistance to 332 entrepreneurs and packaging support to 52 more.
“We are therefore thankful to the chief minister for the RM5 million allocation for this programme.”
The government’s programmes have also produced and developed more SMI business people.
“We have helped or created 1,500 business people in the micro and small-enterprise sector and 653 entrepreneurs in the SMI sector.
“SMI entrepreneurship programmes have created 40 local companies, which are exporters,” he said.
“The SMI sector has contributed to 98% of business growth in Sabah generally and played a big part in contributing to the state’s GDP,” he said.
SMIs account for 36.3% of the national GDP.