MASTERPLAN FOR THE NATION: Image shows (from left) Karunajothi, Noor Azian, Farrez Teh Abdullah, Zaharuddin and Mohd Iskandariah during the Q&A session after the talk.
KUCHING: SME Corporation Malaysia (SME Corp) organised a talk and shared the findings as well as recommendations for the final documentation of the SME Masterplan with stakeholders at Grand Margherita Hotel yesterday.
Keynote speakers for the event included Karunajothi Kandasamy, senior director of economic and policy planning of SME Corp, Zaharuddin Alias, manager of Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd and Noor Azian Romlan, state director of Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade).
The half-day event was attended by over 50 members of multiple small medium enterprises (SMEs) and was part of a nationwide roadshow that SME Corp had embarked to disseminate information of the SME Masterplan, which targeted to increase the contribution of SMEs to gross domestic product (GDP) from the current 32 per cent to 41 per cent by the year 2020.
The plan which pivots on the implementation of six high impact programmes (HIPs) was intended to address the business needs and create an overall conducive ecosystem for SMEs.
The focus of the masterplan explained during the talk was on enhancing ease of doing business, promoting innovation including addressing early stage financing needs and to open up avenues for SMEs to export their products.
It also touched on specific initiatives for SMEs in East Malaysia, mainly to promote SME growth in the economic corridors in Sarawak and Sabah.
Besides touching on the SME Masterplan, the half day event also covered briefings on the Shariah compliant SME Financing Scheme by Ambank Islamic Bank, registration procedures by the inland revenue board and export opportunities by the Matrade.