KUALA LUMPUR: Export-Import Bank of Malaysia Bhd (Exim Bank) has soft-launched a new funding programme to help Malaysian businesses prepare and accelerate expansion in the global market.

Announced during the bank's Hari Raya open house today, the Exim Go-Export Financing Programme boasts three features namely EXIM Go-Export ACE, GreenTech and SMEXport.

EXIM Bank chairman Datuk Azman Mahmud said the programme aimed at providing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and corporate customers with the best value proposition, giving them a competitive edge to grow their cross-border businesses.

"We feel that the new initiative will make our SMEs competitive and the penetration to the global market could be better," he said.

Exim Bank president and chief executive officer Arshad Mohamed Ismail said it wanted to encourage SMEs to go past the domestic market.

"Beyond just providing financing services, we want to provide a platform to showcase opportunities in different jurisdictions to our clients. These programmes, while they will be available to SMEs and non-SMEs, the focus will be on SMEs," says Arshad.

Exim Bank said the programme would be officially launched in the near time.

Arshad said this year, Exim Bank would introduce an initiative committed to the environmental, social and governance (ESG) framework.

"Many jurisdictions are way ahead in terms of commitment towards ESG principle.

"As a bank that has been set up to support industries, we need to make a similar commitment. So by the third quarter of this year, we will have our ESG framework in place to ensure we are able to guide our clients in the context of ESG," he added.

https://www.nst.com.my/business/2023/05/908253/exim-bank-soft-launches-initiative-help-malaysian-businesses-accelerate