Advertisement

PETALING JAYA: SME Bank at its recent South Region Jom Xcess programme has provided various financing facilities and entrepreneur development programmes for small and medium-sized entrerprises (SME) in Johor Baru and the southern region.

According to Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (Medac) Tan Sri Noh Omar, the SME sector received a large allocation of RM40bil in the Budget 2022.

From this amount, RM900mil were provided through the RM600mil equity and quasi-equity funding initiatives led by SME Bank in collaboration with Teraju and Bank Simpanan Nasional, RM200mil for the IBS Promotion Fund and RM100mil under the Young Entrepreneur Financing (YEF2.0) programme.

He said at the event that SME Bank’s proactive move to go nationwide and in particular the southern region supports the aspirations of Semarak Niaga Keluarga Malaysia as well as opens up more new opportunities for SME entrepreneurs to further strengthen their businesses.”

Meanwhile, SME Bank group chief corporate strategy Mohammad Hardee Ibrahim said SME Bank operates through Johor Baru Enterprise Centre and the Batu Pahat Enterprise Centre under the Southern Regional Centre.

In total, the Southern Regional Centre has 512 customers with a financing value of RM505.6mil.

Hardee added that “SME Bank’s Southern Regional Centre has approved financing worth RM255.3mil to more than 115 customers as at Sept 2021.

“This achievement has exceeded the approval target for 2021, which is RM200mil (128%) set by the management of SME Bank.”

Looking at the potential in the southern part of the country, SME Bank ensures that the Jom Xcess programme is the best platform to help solve the issue of access to financing more effectively and efficiently.

This year’s Jom XCESS programme is more comprehensive where SME Bank also brings large companies or anchors such as Petro Teguh Sdn Bhd, Prowheels Distributor Sdn Bhd Bateriku.com, Ayamas Shoppe Sdn Bhd and Chatime Malaysia which offers opportunities for SME entrepreneurs to become franchisees or participants in their business programmes.

Since its inception, SME Bank has approved financing worth RM38bil to 20,543 SMEs.

Through the Jom Xcess Programme, SME Bank can reach out to entrepreneurs directly to offer financing facilities and other services provided by the Bank as well as other strategic partners who also participated in the Jom Xcess tour.

 

Source : https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2021/11/08/sme-bank-unveils-initiatives-to-help-companies