Kecewa program kurang sambutan
Ismail Sabri (kiri) sempat meluangkan masa berbual dengan salah seorang usahawan muda yang hadir pada majlis tersebut.
BERA - Program Agropreneur Muda yang dilaksanakan pada tahun lalu gagal mencapai sasaran untuk melahirkan 1000 usahawan dalam tempoh setahun apabila hanya 354 usahawan sahaja yang bergerak aktif.
Menteri Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob berkata, pencapaian ini sangat mengecewakan dan meminta semua agensi terlibat dalam program itu melakukan gerak kerja yang lebih agresif bagi mencapai sasaran 1,000 agropreneur muda pada tahun ini.
Menurutnya, sasaran ini boleh dicapai sekiranya agensi terbabit bersama-sama turun padang untuk mencari usahawan muda ini.
“Saya rasa kita boleh mencapai sasaran ini tetapi kalau kita tunggu orang datang mendaftar yang mana di peringkat daerah pun tunggu orang datang ke pejabat dan di peringkat negeri pun tunggu usahawan datang, kita tidak akan berjaya.
“Kita mesti lebih agresif, sekarang bukan minta orang cari kita tetapi kita cari orang sebab itu kita hendak supaya semua peringkat dan daerah menganjurkan program yang sama seperti ini iaitu seminar usahawan agrepreneur muda,” katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian dalam sidang akhbar selepas Majlis Perasmian Program Agropreneur Muda di Dewan Majlis Daerah Bera, semalam.
Hadir sama, Pengerusi Pengelola Mardi, Datuk Mohd Fadil Osman.
Menurut Ismail Sabri, walaupun setakat hari ini peserta yang mendaftar ialah seramai 3,963 tetapi yang mendapat pinjaman agak mengecewakan iaitu tidak sampai 10 peratus.
Katanya, pada tahun lalu sebanyak RM20.35 juta pinjaman telah diluluskan oleh agensi kewangan terbabit bagi memberi bantuan modal kepada 354 agrepreneur muda.
“Pada tahun ini sebanyak RM10 juta diperuntukkan bagi melaksanakan program agropreneur muda bertujuan melahirkan lebih ramai usahawan muda.
“Bagi membantu melahirkan agropreneur muda, pihak kementerian bukan sahaja memberi bantuan khidmat nasihat tetapi turut memberi geran bantuan sebanyak 30 peratus berupa barangan dan peralatan bagi memulakan aktiviti keusahawanan,” kata beliau.
Beliau berharap, program turun padang agroprenuer muda akan melibatkan semua agensi terbabit termasuk pihak kewangan dan dapat dilaksanakan secara berterusan di semua peringkat berikutan masih ramai yang kurang jelas mengenai program ini.
“Banyak kes saya lihat bukan disebabkan agensi terbabit tidak mahu memberi pinjaman tetapi kerana tidak cukup maklumat dan sebagainya. Cuma masalahnya di peringkat bank dan agensi kewangan ini mereka lambat memaklumkan kepada peminjam. Saya tidak mahu kelewatan ini akan membunuh semangat usahawan muda,” kata Ismail Sabri.
Boom! What went wrong?
Let me explain base on my experience and observation. I did apply for the program; dreaming to be awarded with in-kind-contribution (IKC) scheme. I was really eager to be part of the potential young entrepreneur in agricultural business. Nonetheless, there were some issues of integrity miscommunication that makes me think; it is just a waste of time! It is too risky to put my dream on it and I just forget it.
I don’t want to go every detail about how and why I pulled out from applying to be an Agropreneur Muda. I tweet about this ho ha program many times. I did asked questions but none dare to reply. Giving my opinion with the hope I can make changes but alas, I am just a peasant! Who wants to listen to low social status peasant?
Nonetheless, what are really went wrong to the program? Here are my comments;
1) The program is encouraging applicants to apply for loan. It take time to approve and red tape would definitely breeds bureaucracy. Hence, potential Agropreneur has to endure the waiting game that would slowly kill their motivation. It has cause dissatisfaction from potential Agropreneur; look at the comments in the
Agropreneur Facebook.
2) The document and paperwork to be submitted requires applicants to produce business plan. Just imagine, a poor peasant from remote location with insufficient educational background need to adapt the corporate culture stuff? I wonder how the business plan is helping the authority to approve the loan (or is just for formality?). I believe some applicant paid a ‘business plan writer’ to help them to produce the paperwork. My question is, why make them difficult to produce such document?
3) I can’t understand why IKC needs the applicant to submit 2 quotations from suppliers. In my case, I have to endure such pain to convince suppliers to provide me with their quotation. Why the applicants need to go to extra miles? Why the applicants need to do that?
4) The program need the applicant to take loan and IKC will be awarded based on 30% of total cost of the project. Why can they separate it? There are many potential young farmers like me that run successful agricultural business. These young farmers really need IKC instead of loan. They represent 80% of the target group; 20% are just the beginner. Nonetheless, the program focuses on road tour and recruiting new potential farmers (?) to participate. IMO they should focus on the existing farmers who had running project.
5) IMHO the road tour is not properly plan. It is just base on directive as to please political master. Read
this and
this. The point is, do they really focus to produce potential young agropreneur as stated
here. I believe there are few lucky farmers benefited from these two recent road-tour in Rompin and Permatang Pauh. Blessing in disguise; they might cut corner, I think!
6) If you look at their achievement to date
here, there are only 5 company that claimed to be successful in this program. Contrary to the statement by Minister of Agriculture here.
Where are the rest? Are they are not making any success? Hmmm ... the funny part was there is a cookies maker was part of the program of agricultural base. ... money well spent?
My argument is not questioning the credibility of the program. I believe the program is good but it was poorly executed. The program was also poorly communicated in social media.
Above all, this program shall exhibit result! 5 out of 3963 Agropreneur Muda as an example is far from sufficient. The program should have its own model whom successfully emerge from it. Insufficient information on the outcome causes bad perception to the rakyat.
... and finally, because of my critical comment and tweet to this program, I was blocked by the Director of Agropreneur Muda! Thank you.
How irony!
