Image credit: New Straits Times
KUALA LUMPUR: Maybank Islamic Bhd has recently launched Halal Route to Market Programme (HalMap) to enable small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to expand their halal businesses outside Malaysia.
In a statement today, the bank said the programme would be kicked off with the selection of 10 SMEs to venture into Singapore's halal food market.
The SMEs will be provided a distribution platform, service advisory and training to market their products in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) market segment.
The 10 SMEs and their 50 products are expected to be on the shelves of a supermarket and specialty grocery store called Eccellente by HAO Mart located in @Kinex Mall, Singapore, by the fourth quarter of this year.
To facilitate the programme, Maybank Islamic entered into a strategic partnership with amaxMALL Sdn Bhd (amaxMALL) and Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade).
Being one of the established online and physical business platforms for SMEs, amaxMALL will collaborate with HAO Mart to market and promote the SME products physically and online.
The partnership with amaxMALL and Matrade is part of Maybank Islamic's on-going efforts to tap on the ever-growing halal market.
This is by enhancing the awareness of the halal industry, increasing the number of new halal-certified companies, and ultimately assist them to expand into the overseas halal markets.
"This collaboration is part of our plans to provide access to the marketplace for local SMEs to expand their reach outside Malaysia, bringing the halal businesses to the world," Maybank Islamic chief executive officer Datuk Mohamed Rafique Merican said.
He said with the current challenges faced by SMEs due to the Covid-19 pandemic, HalMap can be a new channel to provide the bank's SME customers with additional opportunities to expand their operations.
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/business/2021/08/718676/maybank-islamics-halmap-malaysian-smes-expand-overseas