Matrade, CIMB assist SMEs in building export resilience
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) and CIMB Group Holdings Bhd have accelerated efforts to assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in building export resilience and attaining new growth.
The collaboration falls under the auspices of the SMEs Sustainable Exporters Programme that was launched in October last year.
In partnership with sustainability consultancy IMPACTO, Matrade-CIMB successfully completed the pilot orientation for the pioneer batch of 40 SMEs from the food and beverage (F&B) sector last month.
Leveraging the potential of digital platforms, the virtual session mainly focused on shaping a sustainable business through managing unprecedented risks such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
The first session, delivered as a 2.5-hour webinar, equipped SMEs with insights on risk management strategies and sustainability standards, supported by an effective business continuity plan.
“Sustainability can help SMEs meet the export requirements of other countries and successfully tap new markets.
“Many developed economies, as well as informed consumers, prefer a product that has been produced sustainably,” said Matrade deputy chief executive officer (exporter development) Sharimahton Mat Saleh in a statement yesterday.
Meanwhile, CIMB Islamic Bank Bhd chief executive officer Ahmad Shahriman Mohd Shariff said with the introduction of various sustainable solutions, SMEs not only gained access to the global market but were also incentivised to operate responsibly by integrating principles of sustainability into their business processes.
The next session of the SMEs Sustainable Exporters Programme is scheduled for July 21.