KOTA KINABALU, Fourteen out of the 36 projects in Phase One of the Tamu Desa initiative were fully completed last month, said Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick He said the projects involved the development of Tamu Desa premises in Penampang, Kota Marudu, Kota Belud, Sipitang, Nabawan, and Tawau. 'Part of the Tamu Desa project is under construction and the rest is in the procurement phase. On Sept 30, we will discuss the overall progress of the Tamu Desa projects in Sabah at the Sabah Entrepreneurship Development Coordination Committee meeting,' he said. He said this when met by reporters after an interview on Sabahfm regarding the Implementation of the Tamu Desa initiative in Sabah and Sarawak by the Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Ministry (KUSKOP). Ewon said he introduced the initiative to KUSKOP to upgrade existing community market facilities or build new ones for hawkers and petty traders in rural areas. In Budget 2024, Ewon said, Prime Minister Datuk S eri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the Finance Minister, allocated RM20 million for the implementation of Tamu Desa projects under KUSKOP. 'For the first phase, RM10 million is allocated to develop 36 Tamu Desa sites in Sabah and 13 in Sarawak. Most of these sites have been completed, including those in Sipitang and Kuala Penyu, which will be handed over to the small business community tomorrow. 'For the second phase, KUSKOP is in discussions with the Finance Ministry to finalise the allocation distribution to ensure the success of the next Tamu Desa projects,' he said. Ewon said that for long-term planning, the ministry had applied to the Finance Ministry for funding under Budget 2025, with plans to establish it as an annual KUSKOP initiative. 'We hope this initiative will benefit small-scale entrepreneurs, hawkers, and petty traders, particularly in rural areas. 'We have also introduced schemes for Tamu entrepreneurs, including Micro Financing Schemes for hawkers and petty traders, which are implemented by Bank Rakyat, Tekun Nasional, and Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia,' he said. Source: BERNAMA News Agency