KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 23): The government has identified 11 projects under the carve-out and compete programme to ensure a minimum of 50% bumiputera strategic participation in mega projects of RM500 million and above, as of June 2015.

These projects include MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line (MRT Line 1), Menara Warisan Merdeka and the Malaysian International Exhibition Centre.

According to the Economic Report 2015/16 prepared by the Finance Ministry, the government is also providing financing between RM50,000 and RM1 million for bumiputera entrepreneurs or small- and medium-sized enterprises via the Al-Ansar Bumiputera fund that was established in April 2015.

Meanwhile, Ekuiti Nasional Bhd (Ekuinas), tasked to increase bumiputera corporate equity and promote sustainable economic participation, had invested RM2.5 billion in potential growth-stage companies, including oil and gas, services and healthcare sectors.

Furthermore, 330 bumiputera students have enrolled in professional accounting programmes as of June 2015, as part of an effort to boost the number of certified bumiputera accountants from 8% in 2014 to 25% by 2020.

The government had further spent RM1.9 billion in education loans for students to continue their studies locally and abroad, as of Aug 2015.

It is also accelerating the B40 community's (bottom 40% of the population in terms of household income) participation in the digital economy via the eRezeki programme, by enabling the group to earn additional income via digital means.

eRezeki is expected to train 35,000 B40 participants by 2018, with an estimated budget of RM13 million.