KUALA LUMPUR: 20 July 2023 – Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Berhad (“SME Bank”) continues the Jom XCESS Programme to the Sabah Region by offering financing facilities and advisory services for MSME entrepreneurs. The three business catalysts identified by SME Bank for this region are entrepreneurs from the Manufacturing, Construction, and Tourism industries. 

Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development, Datuk Ewon Benedick said, "SME Bank has organized a total of three SME Bank Jom XCESS Programmes involving a total of 311 MSME entrepreneurs from the northern region, Kuala Lumpur, and the east coast. As a measure to support this initiative, representatives from the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development (MECD) have also given a briefing on the Vendor Capacity & Capability Development Programme (PPKV), an initiative to increase the involvement of vendor companies in the domestic and international market." 

Datuk Ewon also added, "MECD has also provided various facilitation funds for the purpose of increasing the entrepreneur capacity such as the SME Bank's Social Enterprise Financing Scheme worth RM20 million. The Ministry also provided a total fund worth RM11.5 million specifically for Center for Entrepreneur Development and Research Sdn. Bhd. (CEDAR) to implement four entrepreneurial capacity development programmes for the year 2023.”

Group President / Chief Executive Officer SME Bank, Datuk Wira (Dr.) Aria Putera Ismail stated, "In 2022, three SME Bank branches in Sabah, namely Sabah Regional Center and Kota Kinabalu Enterprise Center in Kota Kinabalu, as well as Tawau Enterprise Center have processed and approved financing applications worth RM168 million. As of June this year, SME Bank have processed and approved financing worth RM48 million.”

"SME Bank's three main portfolios for Kota Kinabalu, in particular, are wholesale and retail trade, restaurants and hospitality worth RM125 million; construction worth RM71 million and finance, insurance, real estate and business activities worth RM40 million,” said Datuk Wira Aria.

Among the financing facilities offered at the SME Bank Jom XCESS Sabah Region edition includes the IBS Promotion Fund 2.0, High Technology and Green Facilities (HTG) and Penjana Tourism Financing in addition to various other financing programmes. CEDAR, was also present for a consultation session on boosting te capacity and capability of MSME entrepreneurs.

SME Bank also handed over a mock cheque for the donation to Sekolah Kebangsaan Pekan Pensiangan Komprehensif 9 (SKPPK9) worth RM25,000.00, for the construction of SKPPK9's hall. "With this infrastructure, it will enable learning and teaching activities especially in the Education-Based Tourism Development or School of Tourism to be implemented more effectively," added Datuk Wira Aria.

The opening ceremony of the SME Bank Jom XCESS Programme in Sabah was officiated by YB Datuk Ewon Benedick, Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development. Meanwhile, the mock cheque presentation session was handed over by the Group President / Chief Executive Officer of SME Bank, Datuk Wira (Dr.) Aria Putera Ismail to Aloysius Robert, Senior Assistant Co-curriculum, Sekolah Kebangsaan Pekan Pensiagan Komprehensif 9.