KUALA LUMPUR, 27 Sept — The Yayasan Bank Rakyat today launched the Bizzhall2020 programme to assist micro-entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to revive their businesses which have been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The initiative will be carried out in collaboration with various agencies under the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry.

Yayasan Bank Rakyat chairman Datuk Nazir Hussin Akhtar Hussin said that Covid-19 had tremendously changed the entrepreneurial and business landscape, where many traders could not operate as usual.

"The Bizzhall2020 programme will assist the people to survive through the post-Covid-19 era particularly micro-entrepreneurs and SMEs. Today, we gathered 13 agencies under one roof to offer various financing products to help these entrepreneurs,” he said in his speech today.

Besides financing assistance, the programme will also provide training to 200 selected entrepreneurs in seven locations with various entrepreneurship skills.

Among the agencies involved in the programme are the Malaysia Co-operative Societies Commission for the Revolving Fund of up to RM10 million; Bank Rakyat (Bank Rakyat Cares special financing — up to RM300,000); Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad (Bumiputera Relief Financing — from RM100,000 to RM1 million) and National Entrepreneur Group Economic Fund (Tekun Nasional) (Tekun Niaga Financing Scheme — from RM50,000 to RM100,000). — Bernama